Weather variation affects disease activity, outcomes in PsA

Weather changes tend to influence the clinical profile of patients with psoriatic arthritis (PsA), reveals a recent study, which examined weather variations through subjective and objective patient-reported outcomes (PROs) matched with those with PsA.

Researchers obtained hourly measurements of temperature, relative humidity, and pressure from 2015 to 2020 in Montreal, Canada, and matched these with disease activity and PROs of those with PsA enrolled in Rhumadata. They then analysed the differences in mean disease activity and PROs between winter and summer.

Pearson correlation coefficients were measured between clinical profile and weather measurements.

Overall, 2,665 PROs were identified in 858 patients with PsA. During winter, the Clinical Disease Activity Index (p=0.001) and Simplified Disease Activity Index (p<0.001) were lower.

In summer, humidity showed a positive association with symptoms (using patient global assessment, fatigue, pain, C-reactive protein, Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Disease Activity Index, Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Functional Index), whereas temperature exhibited a negative association with Health Assessment Questionnaire‒Disability Index.

In winter, temperature positively correlated with fatigue and pain.

“Statistically significant differences in clinical profile were evident between winter and summer, as well as in their correlation with weather measurements,” the researchers said. “However, these distinctions lack clinical significance, suggesting a small impact on patients with PsA.”

Patients with inflammatory articular diseases usually report weather changes in their symptoms, according to the researchers.