Almost three-quarters of women with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) suffer pain on a daily basis, despite the fact that the majority of them receive pain relief medication, the results of a new study have shown. RA is a chronic and often painful disease affecting the joints, causing them to become inflamed. An inflamed joint looks swollen and red and appears warm to touch. This inflammation can lead to permanent damage in the joints if the disease is not treated. Around 40,000 people in Ireland have the condition.
The results of this latest study were based on data collected from almost 28,000 women living in seven countries, including the UK, Germany, Spain and the US. They were presented at EULAR 2010, the Annual Congress of the European League Against Rheumatism and highlighted the emotional, social and physical impact of RA on women's lives.
According to the findings, women with the disease reported suffering feelings of detachment and isolation and said that it had affected their intimate relationships. In fact, 40% of single women said that it was more challenging to find a partner, while 22% of divorced or separated respondents indicated that RA had played a role in their decision to separate from their partner.
At least two in three women with the condition reported concealing their pain from those closest to them, while 67% said they were constantly looking for new ideas to address the pain they were in.
"These data confirm that pain is a paramount issue for women with RA, fundamentally striking at the heart of their physical, social and emotional wellbeing. The research highlights the complexity of the management of RA, and the pain associated with it, over and above basic symptom control," commented EULAR president, Prof Paul Emery of the University of Leeds in the UK.
The survey also examined the negative impact of the disease on the participants' working lives. It found that almost three in four of those who were employed at the time of the survey felt that they were less productive at work because of their RA.
Many respondents reported that the disease had a long-term effect on their work life, with 23% stopping work altogether and 17% reporting a switch to part-time employment as a result of their RA.
"The adoption of treatment pathways and strategies to reduce pain, reinstate productivity at work and manage the social impact of RA is of huge importance in the clinical management of this patient population," Prof Emery added.
The EULAR 2010 Annual Congress is taking place in Rome, Italy.
No comments:
Post a Comment