Abstract
Patients with rheumatoid arthritis have difficulty with cooking and eating. We compared dietary intake of patients with rheumatoid arthritis of different ages and functional classes. Eighty-nine patients (male:female, 18:71; mean age, 65.0; and mean disease duration: 18.8 years) completed the self-administered brief diet history questionnaire. The data from the female patients were compared with the average intake from the 2013 National Health and Nutrition Survey in Japan. The results showed that the estimated energy, protein, and fat intake in the rheumatoid arthritis group of those 70 years of age or greater was higher than the national average. Patients with functional disability consumed fewer foods that required dexterity, including fish. Nutritional counseling by dietitians should be provided to help arthritic patients.