Prevalence and Clinical Characteristics of Rheumatoid Arthritis in Poland: First Nationwide Study

Bogdan Batko¹, Marcin Stajszczyk², Jerzy Swierkot³, Filip Raciborski⁴ and Piotr Wiland³, ¹Rheumatology, J. Dietl Specialist Hospital, Krakow, Poland, ²Department of Reumatology and Autoimmune Diseases, Silesian Rheumatology Center, Ustron, Poland, ³Department of Rheumatology and Internal Medicine, Wroclaw Medical University, Wroclaw, Poland, ⁴Department of Epidemiology and Health Promotion, Institute of Rheumatology, Warsaw, Poland

Meeting: 2015 ACR/ARHP Annual Meeting

Date of first publication: September 29, 2015

Keywords: Rheumatoid arthritis (RA)

Session Information

Date: Monday, November 9, 2015

Title: Epidemiology and Public Health Poster II: Pathogenesis and Treatment of Systemic Inflammatory Diseases

Session Type: ACR Poster Session B

Session Time: 9:00AM-11:00AM

Background/Purpose:

The prevalence of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in Europe varies from a geographical standpoint. Knowledge of the occurrence of RA is valuable for policy makers and health professionals. There are no reliable data regarding the prevalence of RA in Poland.

Methods:

The study consists of two independent stages. The first stage is a survey on a nationwide representative sample of 3000 people (ages 15 and over), covering RA related symptoms, risk factors, and treatment. The questionnaire is validated for Polish RA population. The second stage of the study is a survey for characteristics of RA patients evaluated by a retrospective analysis of a group of 1957 RA patients in routine clinical practice.

Results:

The overall RA prevalence in Poland was 0.9% (95% CI 0.6-1.2%), 1.06% in women, 0.74% in men. A total of 1957 patients with RA were analyzed: 78% were female, mean age 56, and mean disease duration approximately 7 years. The most frequently associated diseases were: hypertension, 49%; ischemic heart disease, 22%; diabetes, 17%; interstitial lung disease, 7%. The ratio of employed to unemployed patients from the ages of 51-60 was almost 1:1; however, younger patients (<50) remained professionally active in approximately 90% of cases. Over 30% of patients were diagnosed within 3 months of first RA symptoms, while for 16% of patients diagnosis took more than one year. 56% of newly diagnosed patients were characterized by a high disease activity of DAS-28>5.1. Presently, low disease activity of DAS-28<3.2 could be found in approximately 40% of patients; however, there was still a majority with DAS-28>3.2. In Poland, 94% of patients have been treated with NSAID (Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs), and diclofenac was most frequently prescribed. Almost 80% of patients have been treated with glucocorticoids, and 56% of patients have continued with this treatement. Our study confirms that Methotrexate is an anchor drug in Poland.

Conclusion:

This is the first cross-sectional population-based epidemiological study regarding RA in the adult Polish population. The results demonstrate a high prevalence of RA, however they fall within the upper bound estimates for Europe. Retrospective analysis of RA patients indicates that despite ongoing treatment, the majority still have moderate to high disease activity.

Disclosure: B. Batko, None; M. Stajszczyk, None; J. Swierkot, None; F. Raciborski, None; P. Wiland, None.

To cite this abstract in AMA style:

Batko B, Stajszczyk M, Swierkot J, Raciborski F, Wiland P. Prevalence and Clinical Characteristics of Rheumatoid Arthritis in Poland: First Nationwide Study [abstract]. Arthritis Rheumatol. 2015; 67 (suppl 10). https://acrabstracts.org/abstract/prevalence-and-clinical-characteristics-of-rheumatoid-arthritis-in-poland-first-nationwide-study/. Accessed .

« Back to 2015 ACR/ARHP Annual Meeting

ACR Meeting Abstracts - https://acrabstracts.org/abstract/prevalence-and-clinical-characteristics-of-rheumatoid-arthritis-in-poland-first-nationwide-study/