Study highlights work disruptions caused by ankylosing spondylitis

New research has shed light on the potentially serious disruptions that ankylosing spondylitis patients experience in their working lives.Led by Maastricht University in the Netherlands, the study has indicated that the working difficulties patients this inflammatory condition of the spine can cause often grow worse over time, as well as highlighting key factors that play a role in this process.Analysing working trends in the long-term The researchers aimed to examine the impact of ankylosing spondylitis on work disability over 12 years compared with the general population, while also exploring the specific factors that can predict adverse work outcomes.Data from 215 patients was taken from an international study that included patients from the Netherlands, France and Belgium, with results from the analysis published in the medical journal Arthritis Care & Research.It was shown that 55 patients - or 26 per cent of the group - were unable to work due to their disability at the outset of the study, with a further 139 individuals at risk for adverse working outcomes during the follow-up period.The impact of ankylosing spondylitis The results indicated that work disability rates continued to rise over the 12-year period among men in particular, though the trend was less clear for women.People in the Netherlands were more likely to be affected, suggesting place of residence can have an impact, while patients with uveitis (an inflammatory eye condition) and those with more acti...
Source: Arthritis Research UK - Category: Rheumatology Source Type: news