Utility of the GerdQ questionnaire in detecting gastroesophageal symptoms with RA patients

Objective: Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) affects multiple organ systems, including the esophagus. Moreover, one of the major side effects of methotrexate (MTX) is gastrointestinal disorders, which are said to affect medication adherence. We investigated the rate of MTX use, dosage, and the use of glucocorticoids (GCs) and oral non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) in relation to gastroesophageal (GE) symptoms, and whether they influence RA disease activity.

Methods: This study utilized the GerdQ questionnaire to analyze the influence of GE symptoms on RA disease activity and medication adherence. A total of 558 RA patients participated. On the day of the GerdQ questionnaire, data on age, gender, disease duration, RA disease activity, lab results, and lifestyle factors such as smoking history and alcohol consumption were recorded. Detailed drug information on conventional synthetic DMARDs (csDMARDs), biologic/targeted synthetic DMARDs (b/tsDMARDs), glucocorticoids, and NSAIDs were extracted from medical records. Propensity score matching adjusted patient background characteristics.

Results: Before matching, patients with moderate to high disease activity had higher GE symptoms (12.7% vs. 25.6%). After matching, higher GerdQ scores were correlated with increased tender joint counts 28 (TJC28) and worse visual analog scale (VAS) scores. Oral MTX usage was similar, but the dosage was significantly lower in the group with higher GerdQ scores (51.4% vs. 50.8% and 7.7 ± 2.4 mg/wks vs. 6.5 ± 2.6 mg/wks, p < 0.05*).

Conclusions: GE symptoms significantly impact MTX treatment and patient-reported outcomes such as TJC28 and VAS in RA disease activity, highlighting their importance in RA treatment strategies. For clinicians, the study's results will emphasize the importance of monitoring and managing GE symptoms in RA patients, particularly those on MTX therapy. Furthermore, the data could provide a basis for future studies that explore targeted interventions to mitigate GE symptoms and enhance medication adherence, potentially improving RA outcomes.