Title: Physical activity and rheumatoid arthritis

Rheumatoid arthritis is a debilitating long-term condition characterised by functional disability, pain and fatigue. It is also associated with systemic manifestations, most notably an increased risk for cardiovascular disease. There is strong evidence to suggest that increasing physical activity and/or exercise can simultaneously improve symptoms and reduce the impact of systemic manifestations of RA. However, implementation of interventions to facilitate increased physical activity and/or exercise within routine clinical practice is slow, due to patient-specific and healthcare professional-related barriers but also due to lack of relevant infrastructure and provision. This talk will focus on the physiological adaptations of increased physical activity and/or exercise in RA and propose implementation models for facilitating the long-term engagement of RA patients.

Professor George Metsios has done much work on this topic over the last 15 years. His work has been extensively used to develop and revise guidelines for people with arthritis. Moreover, as a result of this work, George is personally now involved heavily in writing guidelines as well for the leading European Organization European League Against Rheumatism and is responsible for the implementation of physical activity in clinical practice, at a European Level.