Abstract

BERTAO, Manuela V. et al. Study of Prevalence of Raynaud’s Phenomenon in Porto. Medicina Interna [online]. 2018, vol.25, n.4, pp.268-274. ISSN 0872-671X.  https://doi.org/10.24950/rspmi/original/185/4/2018.

Introduction: Raynaud’s phenomenon (RP) is characterized by a color changed on the skin and extremities triggered by cold exposure and emotional stress. Its prevalence in Portugal is unknown. Material and Methods: A cross sectional study was carried out in the region of Grande Porto, Portugal. The non-random sample was composed of 663 subjects, of both genders, varying from 15 to 64 years old. The association between RP’s prevalence and age, gender, marital status, county of residence, profession, occupational exposure to chemical products, vibratory tools and refrigeration systems was investigated. Participants were classified as having RP based on UK Scleroderma Study Group criteria (“A” criteria) and Maricq’s scale of distal finger color (“A+B” criteria). Data were analyzed using the chi-square and McNemar tests. Statistical significance was set at p < 0.05. Results: Applying “A” criteria, the prevalence of RP was 4.5% (5.6% in women versus 2.3% in men) and with “A+B” criteria the prevalence of RP was 1.7% (2.0% in women versus 0.9% in men). Only occupational exposure to chemical products was significantly and positively associated with RP. Pallor fingers were the most reliable symptom of RP, regardless the criteria used. Conclusion: Depending on the criteria, the prevalence of RP in Grande Porto varied between 1.7% and 4.5%, and these findings were similar to those found in some other countries. In contrast with other studies, age, gender, occupational exposure to vibratory tools and refrigeration systems had no association to RP.

Keywords : Portugal; Prevalence; Raynaud Disease/complications; Raynaud Disease/diagnosis; Raynaud Disease/ epidemiology.

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