Rheumatic Disease Awareness Month takes place in September each year. This year, the American College of Rheumatology (ACR) and Association of Rheumatology Professionals (ARP) have chosen the campaign theme, RheumMoves: Exercise for Individuals Living with Rheumatic Diseases, and curated expert-approved resources for patients to help them learn and practice exercise tips and strategies. The campaign aims to address the current knowledge gap by educating patients about the importance of physical activity and encouraging them to collaborate actively with their rheumatology healthcare team to manage their rheumatic condition.
Among researchers at TARC, there are several investigators leading projects with the goal of delivering exercise guidance and resources to adults with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), osteoarthritis (OA), and knee OA. Rheumatic Disease Awareness month is the perfect time to shine a light on the valuable work performed by these investigators and their research teams and to highlight the guidance shared by ACR in this year’s campaign.
The Osteoarthritis Prevention Study
The Osteoarthritis Prevention Study (TOPS) was initiated in 2023 with the objective of establishing the efficacy of an intervention of dietary weight loss, exercise, and weight-loss maintenance for knee OA prevention. This is a Phase III, multi-site clinical trial, led at UNC Chapel Hill by Site PI, Dr. Leigh Callahan, Mary Link Briggs Distinguished Professor of Medicine, Associate Director of the Thurston Arthritis Research Center, and Director of the Osteoarthritis Action Alliance. The 5-year trial is funded by the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS), the Arthritis Foundation, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The study builds on a previous OA pragmatic trial co-led by Dr. Callahan and Dr. Stephen Messier at Wake Forest University that showed that a weight loss and diet intervention led to greater than 20% pain relief in persons with knee osteoarthritis published in JAMA (link to article). TOPS has four clinical sites including UNC, Wake Forest University, Harvard University and University of Sydney, Australia. The UNC site has enrolled more than 260 participants; almost half of the participants currently enrolled in the trial.
Stepped Exercise Program for Knee Osteoarthritis: The STEP-KOA Study
Dr. Kelli Allen, Professor of Medicine in the UNC School of Medicine and Research Health Scientist at the Durham VA Medical Center, along with co-PI, Dr. Yvonne Golightly, Assistant Dean for Research and Professor in the University of Nebraska Medicine Center, lead the Stepped Exercise Program for Knee Osteoarthritis: The STEP-KOA Study, an R34 clinical trial planning grant funded by NIAMS. STEP-KOA was developed and tested in the VA as a systematic approach to delivering exercise-based therapies into clinical care for knee OA. Patient-centeredness and efficiency are hallmarks of STEP-KOA, as the interventions are based on patient needs and improvement. The planning grant took steps to prepare for a larger clinical trial of STEP-KOA in different health care systems.
PREVAIL Exercise Resource for Adults with Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA)
Dr. Louise Thoma, Assistant Professor in the Department of Health Sciences, Physical Therapy in the UNC School of Medicine is leading a pilot trial that seeks to facilitate exercise guidance and appropriate rehabilitation referrals to adults with RA to help prevent or address functional limitations. The trial is the final study from her NIAMS K23 award, “Helping Adults with RA PREVAIL: Developing a Model to Preserve Valued Activities in Life.” As part of the trial, her team has developed a public-facing PREserving Valued Activities In Life (PREVAIL) exercise resource. Provided to all participants in the trial, the goal of this resource is to share helpful exercise tips tailored for adults with RA by offering evidence-based information about exercise and physical activity to improve health and well-being.
To read and learn more about the insights shared throughout this campaign, including practical advice from physical therapists, access to self-management guides, and the top 7 tips to help reduce symptoms of rheumatic conditions, visit the ACR’s Rheumatic Disease Awareness Month website.