Pedometers – the new prescription for rheumatoid arthritis, study suggests

According to recently published research, using a pedometer to measure the number of steps taken in the day has been linked to lower fatigue in people with rheumatoid arthritis.

Fatigue is a common problem for many people with rheumatoid arthritis. This fatigue can sometimes lead people to shy away from any exercise, which can then contribute to a cycle of more fatigue and less physical activity.

However, researchers from the University of California in San Francisco have been looking into ways to break this cycle with the use of pedometers.

The researchers recruited 98 people to participate in a study that looked at the effects of increased activity in rheumatoid arthritis-related fatigue. Participants had to be able to walk or walk with an aid, able to return for follow up visits, experience at least a moderate level of fatigue, and be sedentary. Of the participants, 88% were women with an average age of 54, who had been diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis for, on average, 14 years. The majority of those who took part in the study were English speaking and 59% and 60% were on glucocorticoids and biologics, respectively.

The group received an average fatigue score of 59 at the beginning of the study and were asked to wear an activity monitoring device for one week to determine their starting level of activity. The median number of steps for the group was 3,710, well below the threshold of a sedentary lifestyle of 5,000 steps per day.

After one week, the group was split into three subgroups. Group one received education on physical activity, the second group received a pedometer and a diary to log their daily steps and the third group received a pedometer, step diary, and a goal to increase their steps by 10% every two weeks.

Researchers contacted groups two and three every two weeks for a 21 week period, to check on progress and group three also received their new step goal for the next two weeks.

At 21 weeks, groups two and three had significant increases to their daily steps compared to group one, which reported virtually no change in activity. Group two increased their steps by 87% and group three by 159%. “Just having a pedometer and reporting steps seemed to be important,” says lead researcher, Dr Katz. “Combined, both pedometer groups increased average daily steps by 125%, and both had significant decreases in fatigue. Of course, having goals seemed to create an even greater increase in steps and decrease in fatigue, but the important shift occurred just from having the pedometer and monitoring steps.”

While all groups noted their fatigue decreased the more they moved, it was the participants who were the least active at the beginning of the study who noticed the biggest change in fatigue at the end. This finding, says Dr Katz, suggests that people who were the least active gained the most from the intervention.

“Overall, this study further confirms the importance of physical activity in people with rheumatoid arthritis,” concludes Dr Katz, who suggests people with rheumatoid arthritis add more steps to their day. “Not only does it help to reduce fatigue – as shown in this study – it may improve mood, help a patient maintain a healthy weight, improve cardiovascular risk factors and improve overall functioning.”

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