TOPLINE:

Impairment in upper limb function and performance of activities of daily living were independently associated with various domains of Lupus quality of life (Lupus QOL) in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE).

METHODOLOGY:

• Researchers examined associations between multiple upper limb function measures and all Lupus QOL domains in patients with SLE at two rheumatology units in Greece between September 2016 and January 2018.
• They included 240 patients with SLE (mean age, 47.1 years; 89.6% women) and 122 age- and sex-matched healthy control individuals.
• Grip strength, pinch strength, and dexterity were evaluated by an experienced occupational therapist using standard methods to assess upper limb function. Each test was repeated three times.
• Performance of activities of daily living was evaluated using the Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand (DASH) questionnaire, and physical disability was evaluated using the Health Assessment Questionnaire.
• QOL was assessed using the disease-specific Lupus QOL questionnaire across eight domains, including physical health, pain, body image, and fatigue.

TAKEAWAY:

• Patients with SLE demonstrated reduced upper limb strength (grip strength and tip pinch strength) and dexterity (assessed using Purdue Pegboard scores) compared with healthy control individuals (all P < .05).
• After multivariable adjustment, grip strength of the dominant hand was associated with all QOL domains (all P < .01).
• Dexterity scores of the dominant hand on the Purdue Pegboard Test were associated with seven of the eight QOL domains (all P < .05) but not with the body image domain.
• DASH was inversely linked to all Lupus QOL domains (all P < .001).

IN PRACTICE:

"Implementing hand-specific exercise interventions, in collaboration with physiotherapy and occupational therapy, could serve as an effective strategy to enhance physical function and improve the quality of life," the authors wrote.

SOURCE:

The study was led by Ioannis Arkoumanis, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Medical School, Athens, Greece. It was published online on January 18, 2026, in Rheumatology.

LIMITATIONS:

The study included only White participants, possibly limiting the generalisability of the findings, and predominantly enrolled patients with mild disease activity, potentially limiting applicability to patients with severe disease.

DISCLOSURES:

The study did not receive any specific funding. One author disclosed being an associate editor of Rheumatology.

This article was created using several editorial tools, including AI, as part of the process. Human editors reviewed this content before publication.