Alarmingly low activity in patients with non-inflammatory and inflammatory rheumatic disease

A meta-analysis using fitness trackers to assess physical activity in patients with both non-inflammatory and inflammatory rheumatic diseases revealed that most patients fail the recommended number of daily steps. This is mostly not due to a lack of strength but rather a low motivation for physical efforts.

Wearable devices, such as fitness trackers, are an easy-to-use instrument to collect objective data related to physical activity, which is an important lifestyle factor for improving long-term health, especially in patients with rheumatic musculoskeletal disorders due to their increased cardiovascular risk. In the general population, wearable fitness trackers are increasingly popular to assess physical activity and get motivational cues.

A meta-analysis presented by Prof. Luca Quartuccio (University of Udine, Italy) aimed to evaluate wearable devices in patients with both non-inflammatory (i.e. fibromyalgia, osteoarthritis) and inflammatory (i.e. chronic inflammatory arthropathies, systemic autoimmune disorders) rheumatic diseases as a means to assess physical activity [1]. The researchers explored both daily steps and moderate-to-vigorous physical training as assessed with fitness trackers. The comparison of both parameters to reference values for healthy people was defined as a secondary outcome. According to a literature review, 7,000 daily steps were recommended [2]. The reference value for moderate-to-vigorous physical training was 150 min/week and was derived from WHO guidelines [3].

An overall of 51 studies, including 7,488 participants, were included. Participants reached the recommended threshold for moderate-to-vigorous physical training but failed the goal of 7,000 daily steps. Participants with rheumatic conditions reported 1092.6 fewer daily steps compared with the reference value. An even higher difference was reported in participants with autoimmune disease (1865.9 fewer steps) and osteoarthritis (1385.6 fewer steps), whereas patients with fibromyalgia and inflammatory arthropathies fared significantly better. Overall, younger people had a higher level of physical activity (6796.1 vs 5431.9 in the elderly).

The authors concluded that patients with rheumatic musculoskeletal diseases have an alarmingly low level of physical activity. The underlying diseases did not seem to impair strength but rather decrease tolerance or motivation for physical efforts. Wearable fitness trackers are an easy-to-use tool that should be integrated into future studies on physical activity. “The use of wearable devices may itself stimulate physical activity in patients with rheumatic musculoskeletal diseases,” Prof. Quartuccio said.

1. Ocagli H, et al. Usefulness of wearable devices to assess physical activity in non-inflammatory and inflammatory rheumatic disease: a systematic review and meta-analysis. POS0163, EULAR 2022 Congress, 1–4 June, Copenhagen,
2. Tudor-Locke C, et al. Int J Behav Nutr Phys Act. 2011;8:79.
3. Bull FC, et al. Br J Sports Med. 2020;54:1451–62.

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Posted on 21 July 202217 May 2024