Rheumatoid arthritis patients in new study to reduce falls
Rheumatoid arthritis patients in Manchester are to take part in a major new study which aims to reduce the number of falls they experience, and also reduce the fear of falling.
Up to 500 patients attending rheumatology outpatient departments at Hope Hospital in Salford and the Manchester Royal Infirmary will be recruited onto the study, run by lecturer in nursing at the University of Manchester, Emma Stanmore, and funded by a fellowship of £160,000 by the Arthritis Research Campaign.
The patients will be asked to attend the Wellcome Trust Clinical Research Facility in Grafton Street to undergo tests to check their history of falling, muscle strength, balance and stability and answer a questionnaire about the fear of falling and its psychological impact.
“Rheumatoid arthritis is linked to an increased risk of falls resulting in osteoporotic fractures, but no research has scientifically confirmed this,” explained Mrs Stanmore, who is based at the School of Nursing, Midwifery and Social Work, and whose expertise is the rehabilitation of older people.
“What I hope to do with this study is to establish the extent of the problem and the risk factors,” she added.
“From that a falls prevention programme will be developed, which will look at improving balance and muscle strength, assessing and reducing hazards in the home, footwear, eyesight, and tackling the fear factor.
“If people with RA are less mobile and do less and less they lose confidence and are much more likely to fall, and if we can work on improving patients’ muscle strength and balance, for example, we could make massive improvements.”
A spokeswoman for the Arthritis Research Campaign said it had awarded Mrs Stanmore an Allied Health Professional Training Fellowship because the study was important in dealing with an issue of serious public health concern. “We hope it will also raise awareness among health professionals at all levels that falling and fear of falling in rheumatoid arthritis patients can be tackled,” she added.
