Background/Purpose: Pain is often regarded as a critical factor related to quality of life by patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis and has been associated with increased mortality. The aim of this study was to identify different pain profiles in association to the quality of life in Colombian patients. Methods: This was a cross-sectional study involving 1395 patients with diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis, from a specialized rheumatology center in Colombia. A mixed-cluster analysis based on multivariate descriptive methods, multiple factor analysis and k-means cluster analysis, was done to summarize sets of related variables. The variables used for the cluster analysis were the five dimensions of the EuroQoL, the Visual Analog Scale of the EuroQoL and the EuroQoL index value. Results: Four pain profiles were identified with varying degrees of pain and compromise on quality of life. The profile with highest proportion of patients with severe pain (Profile 2) was used as the main reference group. When compared with the patients with the least compromise of their quality of life as well as pain (Profile 4) these patients were older, with a higher proportion of females, and a lower education level. Also, they used significantly less methotrexate, and significantly more oral glucocorticoids and biologic therapy. Patients in Profile 2 had significantly more Fibromyalgia, Cardiovascular Disease and Diabetes, and a higher CDAI and DAS-28. Conclusion: These findings highlight the importance of personalized medicine, which may translate into better outcomes for patients, through the identification different pain profiles which may benefit from specific therapeutic approaches.
