FRI0726B-HPR INVESTIGATION OF PHYSICAL ACTIVITY LEVELS OF PATIENTS WITH BEHCET’S DISEASE

Abstract

Background Behcet’s disease (BD), which is followed by a chronic course with attacks, is a significant cause of morbidity and mortality due to skin and mucosal lesions, joint involvement and eye involvement which can cause vision loss. It disrupts the physical and mental health of the individual as well as the disability of the physical functions and can affect the quality of life negatively (1, 2). There is strong evidence for the benefits of Physical activity (PA) on improvements on disease activity, activities and participation; however, people with rheumatic and musculoskeletal diseases (RMDs) are in general less active compared with healthy controls (3-5). Objectives The aim of the study was to evaluate PA in patients with BD and also to compare status of PA with healthy controls. Methods 67 patients (female=49, male=18) with BD and 66 healthy peers (female=43, male=23) were enrolled in the study. The subjects were recruited in a rheumatology clinic. They were diagnosed with BD by a rheumatologist based on the clinical diagnostic criteria. PA was evaluated with International Physical Activity Questionnaire-Short Form (IPAQ-SF) in all participants. Metabolic Equivalent (MET) values were calculated due to IPAQ-SF. In addition, the pain and fatigue status of patients with BD was asked. Results The mean age of the patients was 42.95±10.60 years. The mean disease duration was 14.14±9.13 years. The means of physical activity MET scores were 699.74±508.09 and 2006.75±1162.16 in patients with BD and healthy peers, respectively. It was found that the means of PA MET scores in BD was significantly decreased comparing with healthy peers (p Conclusion This study is the first study to evaluate PA in patients with BD. The level of PA was significantly lower in patients with BD compared to their healthy peers. Decreased PA may be associated with pain and fatigue frequently seen in patients with BD. In future studies, it is recommended to investigate the factors affecting PA in patients with BD. *The co-author Ela Tarakci was supported to participate to EULAR 2019 by Turkish Academy of Sciences as a winner of the Young Scientists Award Programme (GEBIP) 2018. *Ela Tarakci’s doctorate student Nejla Uzun was supported to participate to EULAR 2019 by Turkish Academy of Sciences as of the Young Scientists Award Programme (GEBIP- 2018).