Falls in rheumatoid arthritis: Prevalence and associated factors

##plugins.themes.academic_pro.article.sidebar##

Published Feb 15, 2026
https://doi.org/10.62438/tunismed.v103i12.6002
Download
PDF
Vol. 103 No. 12 (2025): Tunis Med Dec 2025

##plugins.themes.academic_pro.article.main##

Yasmine Makhlouf
Department Rheumatolgy, Mongi Slim hospital La marsa, 2046, Tunisia
Sarra Mahjoub
Department Rheumatolgy, Mongi Slim hospital La marsa, 2046, Tunisia
Hiba Boussaa
Department Rheumatolgy, Mongi Slim hospital La marsa, 2046, Tunisia
Saoussen Miladi
Department Rheumatolgy, Mongi Slim hospital La marsa, 2046, Tunisia
Leila Souebni
Department Rheumatolgy, Mongi Slim hospital La marsa, 2046, Tunisia
Kmar Ouenniche
Department Rheumatolgy, Mongi Slim hospital La marsa, 2046, Tunisia
Selma Kassab
Department Rheumatolgy, Mongi Slim hospital La marsa, 2046, Tunisia
Selma Chekili
Department Rheumatolgy, Mongi Slim hospital La marsa, 2046, Tunisia
Kawther Ben Abdelghani
Department Rheumatolgy, Mongi Slim hospital La marsa, 2046, Tunisia
Alia Fazaa
Department Rheumatolgy, Mongi Slim hospital La marsa, 2046, Tunisia
Ahmed Laatar
Department Rheumatolgy, Mongi Slim hospital La marsa, 2046, Tunisia

Abstract

Objective:  to assess the frequency of falls and identify its associated factors in rheumatoid arthritis (RA)patients.


Methods: we conducted a cross-sectional study includingRA patients according to the ACR EULAR criteria 2010. Sociodemographic and disease-related data were collected. Fall risk and balance disorders were evaluated respectively according to the Timed Up and Go Test (TUG) and the Berge Balance Scale (BBS). Foot disability was assessed using the Foot Function Index (FFI).


Results: Fifty patients were included. The mean age was 58 years [30-88] with a gender ratio of 0.25. The average disease duration was 11 years [1-47]. Previous falls were found in 25% of the patients, resulting in fractures in 6.3% of them. Only three patients reported a history of fall in the last year with recurrent falls reaching 12.5%. There was a statistically significant association between the occurrence of falls and a prolonged TUG score (p= 0.041) as well as a history of vertigo (p<0.05). Similarly, the risk of falls was more frequent in female RA patients with a prolonged disease duration but without reaching a significant threshold (p=0.05).


Conclusion: the study highlighted the frequent risk of falls in patients with RA. Factors associated with fall occurrence involved the number of falls, and a history of vertigo.

Keywords:

Rheumatoid Arthritis, Fall, Risk, Fracture

##plugins.themes.academic_pro.article.details##

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

References

  1. : Baker SP, Harvey AH. Fall injuries in the elderly. Clin Geriatr Med. 1985;1:501–512.
  2. : Moreland J, Richardson J, Chan D, O'Neill J, Bellissimo A, Grum R, et al. Evidence-based guidelines for the secondary prevention of falls in older adults. Gerontology. 2003;49:93–116.
  3. :McKay C, Anderson KE. How to manage falls in community dwelling older adults: A review of the evidence. Postgrad Med J. 2010;86:299–306.
  4. : Deandrea S, Lucenteforte E, Bravi F, Foschi R, La Vecchia C, Negri E. Risk factors for falls in community-dwelling older people: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Epidemiology. 2010;21:658–668.
  5. : Guo X, Pei J, Wei Y, Zhang G, Yan F, Han L. Prevalence and risk factors of falls in adults with rheumatoid arthritis: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Semin Arthritis Rheum. 2023;60:152186.
  6. : Oswald AE, Pye SR, O'Neill TW, Bunn D, Gaffney K, Marshall T, et al. Prevalence and associated factors for falls in women with established inflammatory polyarthritis. J Rheumatol. 2006 Apr;33(4):690-4.
  7. : Podsiadlo D, Richardson S. The timed "Up & Go": a test of basic functional mobility for frail elderly persons. J Am Geriatr Soc. 1991 Feb;39(2):142-8.
  8. : Berg K, Wood-Dauphinee S, Williams JI, Gayton D. Measuring balance in the elderly: validation of an instrument. Can J Public Health. 1992;83 Suppl 2:S7-11.
  9. : Budiman-Mak, E., Conrad, K. J., & Roach, K. E. (1991). The Foot Function Index: A measure of foot pain and disability. Journal of Clinical Epidemiology, 44(6), 561-570.
  10. : Guo X, Pei J, Wei Y, Zhang G, Yan F, Han L. Prevalence and risk factors of falls in adults with rheumatoid arthritis: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Semin Arthritis Rheum. 2023 Jun;60:152186].
  11. : Mikos M, Kucharska E, Lulek AM, Kłosiński M, Batko B. Evaluation of Risk Factors for Falls in Patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis. Med Sci Monit. 2020 Apr 15;26:e921862.
  12. : Lourenço MA, Carli FVBO, de Assis MR. Characterization of falls in adults with established rheumatoid arthritis and associated factors. Adv Rheumatol. 2018 Jul 27;58(1):16.
  13. : Armstrong C, Swarbrick CM, Pye SR, O'Neill TW. Occurrence and risk factors for falls in rheumatoid arthritis. Ann Rheum Dis. 2005 Nov;64(11):1602-4.
  14. : Wiegmann S, Armbrecht G, Borucki D, Buehring B, Buttgereit F, Detzer C, et al. Balance and prospective falls in patients with rheumatoid arthritis. BMC MusculoskeletDisord. 2022 Jun 7;23(1):549.
  15. : Smith TO, Clarke C, Dainty JR, Watts L, Yates M, Pomeroy VM, et al. Clinical and biomechanical factors associated with falls and rheumatoid arthritis: baseline cohort with longitudinal nested case-control study. Rheumatology (Oxford). 2022 Feb 2;61(2):679-87.
  16. : Ganz DA, Higashi T, Rubenstein LZ. Monitoring falls in cohort studies of community-dwelling older people: effect of the recall interval. J Am GeriatrSoc .2005;53:21904.
  17. : Cummings SR, Nevitt MC, Kidd S. Forgetting falls. The limited accuracy of recall of falls in the elderly. J Am Geriatr Soc. 1988;36:6136
  18. : Zonzini Gaino J, Barros Bértolo M, Silva Nunes C, de Morais Barbosa C, Sachetto Z, Davitt M,et al. Disease-related outcomes influence prevalence of falls in people with rheumatoid arthritis. Ann Phys Rehabil Med. 2019 Mar;62(2):84-91.
  19. : McKay C, Anderson KE. How to manage falls in community dwelling older adults: a review of the evidence. Postgrad Med J. 2010;86:299306.
  20. : Smith TO, Clarke C, Dainty JR, Watts L, Yates M, Pomeroy VM, et al. Clinical and biomechanical factors associated with falls and rheumatoid arthritis: baseline cohort with longitudinal nested case-control study. Rheumatology (Oxford). 2022 Feb 2;61(2):679-687.
  21. : Lourenço MA, Roma I, Assis MR. Falls and their association with physical tests, functional capacity, clinical and demographic factors in patients with rheumatoid arthritis. Rev Bras Reumatol Engl Ed. 2017 May-Jun;57(3):217-23.