20-05-2025
Lefties With PsA May Have More Peripheral Damage
Patients with psoriatic arthritis (PsA) who were left-handed had increased peripheral damage on radiographic assessment, particularly in the hands, with a greater impact observed on the left side.
METHODOLOGY:
The study used statistical models to prospectively evaluate data from 359 patients (57% men) with PsA who were followed for a median of 14 years.
At baseline, the mean duration of cutaneous-only psoriasis was 15.8 years, the mean patient age was 43.7 years, and the mean body mass index was 28.3.
A total of 35 patients were left-handed, which was defined as using the left hand to write.
The primary outcome was the modified Steinbrocker score (mSS) based on radiographic assessment of the patients' hands (28 joints) and feet (12 joints), in which each joint was rated from 0 (normal) to 4 (total joint destruction, either lysis or ankylosis).
TAKEAWAY:
Left-handedness was significantly associated with increased overall radiographic progression in the hands, with a total estimated mSS in both hands of 6.34 (95% CI, 0.24-12.44; P = .04).
= .04). Left-handedness was also significantly associated with radiographic progression in the left hand, with an estimated mSS in the left hand of 3.37 (95% CI, 0.25-6.48; P = .04).
IN PRACTICE:
'It seemed that left-handed people — who have difficulty adjusting to everyday tools in a world where the majority of people are right-handed — had to adjust to assessment instruments, possibly reflecting real-world design bias,' the study author said in an interview.
SOURCE:
The study, led by Fadi Kharouf, MD, clinical research fellow at the University of Toronto/University Health Network, Toronto, was presented at the Spondyloarthritis Research and Treatment Network (SPARTAN) 2025 Annual Meeting.
LIMITATIONS:
The limitations of the study were not reported.
DISCLOSURES:
The study was conducted as part of the Gladman Krembil Psoriatic Arthritis Program, which is supported by the Krembil Foundation and the Schroeder Arthritis Institute. Kharouf disclosed that he is supported by a fellowship from the Kremlin Foundation.
