RESEARCH - Sick leave before and after diagnosis of RA: TIRA

[Guest guest]

J Rheumatol. 2009 May 1.

Sick Leave Before and After Diagnosis of Rheumatoid Arthritis - A

Report from the Swedish TIRA Project.

Björk M, Thyberg I, Rikner K, Balogh I, Gerdle B.

From Rehabilitation Medicine, Department of Clinical and Experimental

Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, Linköping University, Linköping,

Sweden.

OBJECTIVE: Our study describes sick leave during 3 years before and 3

years after diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in relation to

referents and identifies predictors for sick leave during the third

year after diagnosis of RA.

METHODS: One hundred twenty patients (76% women) from the Swedish

early RA study TIRA were included. Disease activity and disability

were registered regularly during 3 years in TIRA. Referents were

matched for sex, age, and home town. Sick leave data were obtained for

patients 3 years before and 3 years after diagnosis and for the

referents for the corresponding 6 years.

RESULTS: No differences were seen between patients and referents

regarding sick leave during the first 2 years, whereas sick leave

increased in patients 6 months before diagnosis, from 30% to 53%.

During the 3 years after diagnosis, sick leave among patients was

rather stable, varying between 50% and 60%, even though disability

pension increased and sickness benefit decreased. Sick leave before

diagnosis, disability 1 year after diagnosis, and type of work were

identified as predictors for sick leave during the third year after

diagnosis.

CONCLUSION: Not surprisingly, sick leave in patients increased the

year before diagnosis. Although disease activity and disability

diminished after diagnosis, the patients' sick leave remained

essentially unchanged. Sick leave 3 years after diagnosis was foremost

predicted by earlier sick leave, disability, and type of work.

PMID: 19411387

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19411387

Not an MD