ArticleClinical rheumatology2021
Investigating diagnosis, treatment, and burden of disease in patients with ankylosing spondylitis in Central Eastern Europe and the United States: a real-world study.
Article in Clinical rheumatology, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. An erratum has been issued. Cited by 10 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.
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Who cites it
10 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 11 citations in OpenAlex.
- A systematic review and meta-analysis of the association between the D-dimer and rheumatic diseases.Immunity, inflammation and disease · 2024Pooled it
- Ischemia-modified albumin in rheumatic diseases: A systematic review and meta-analysis.Immunity, inflammation and disease · 2024Pooled it
- Global Burden of Premenstrual Syndrome and Uterine Fibroids in Women of Reproductive Age (1990-2023) and Projections to 2050: An Analysis of the Global Burden of Disease Study 2023.Health science reports · 2026Article
- Treatment satisfaction, disease severity, and health-care use in patients with axial spondyloarthritis in the United States and Europe.Rheumatology (Oxford, England) · 2026Article
- Risk-stratified management of ankylosing spondylitis-related spinal fractures-a meta-synthesis of contemporary surgical and nonsurgical strategies: a narrative review.Journal of spine surgery (Hong Kong) · 2025Review
- Association between immunoglobulin G N-glycosylation, inflammatory factors, and ankylosing spondylitis: A case-control study.Clinical rheumatology · 2025Article
- Multilevel spinal fractures in ankylosing spondylitis: illustrative case.Journal of neurosurgery. Case lessons · 2025Article
- Psychosocial burden of axial spondyloarthritis and impact of different disease domains: a systematic literature review.Rheumatology advances in practice · 2025Review
- [Assessment of residual symptoms in patients with axial spondyloarthritis with low disease activity and analysis of its related factors].Beijing da xue xue bao. Yi xue ban = Journal of Peking University. Health sciences · 2024Article
- Developing mapping algorithms to predict EQ-5D health utility values from Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Disease Activity Index and Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Functional Index among patients with Ankylosing Spondylitis.Health and quality of life outcomes · 2024Article
Corrections and comments
- Erratum issued
Authors and funding
10 authors at 6 institutions in 5 countries.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
INTRODUCTION/
objectivesAnkylosing spondylitis (AS) is a chronic inflammatory immune-mediated condition. We compared AS diagnosis, treatment, and burden in Central Eastern European countries (CEE), where this has been less researched, and the United States (US) from a real-world perspective.
methodsPoint-in-time survey of rheumatologists and their AS patients was conducted in the US (Apr-Oct 2018) and CEE (Aug-Nov 2019) via physician- and patient-completed record forms, including clinical and patient-reported outcomes. Statistical analysis included descriptive statistics, t-tests, Fisher's exact tests, and generalized linear models.
resultsIn total, 487 patients were recruited from 88 rheumatologists in the US and 922 patients from 126 rheumatologists in CEE. Time from onset of symptoms to final AS diagnosis was longer in CEE than the US (4.2 vs 2.7 years, p < 0.05). At diagnosis, a greater use of conventional synthetic disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs) and injected steroids was reported in CEE vs the US (43.7% vs 27.6%, p < 0.05; 19.3% vs 8.7%, p < 0.05). 22.9% of US patients received a biologic DMARD at diagnosis vs 10% of CEE patients (p < 0.05). At current consultation, biologic DMARD use in CEE was lower vs the US (27.9% vs 71.0%, p < 0.05). CEE vs US patients had greater disease activity (mean Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Disease Activity Index 4.2 vs 3.1, p < 0.05) and worse quality of life (QoL; mean Ankylosing Spondylitis Quality of Life Questionnaire score 6.2 vs 8.4, p < 0.05).
conclusionsAS patients in CEE vs the US faced slower diagnosis and worse access to biologics, disease activity, and QoL. Whether early access to biologics can improve symptoms, QoL, and daily activities in AS patients in CEE remains to be seen. Key Points • The study provided evidence on the real-world approach to the diagnosis, treatment, and burden of axSpA (axial spondyloarthritis) in CEE compared with the US. • The study reported patients in CEE experienced longer delays in diagnosis and poorer access to biologics than in the US. • This may have resulted in higher disease activity, greater levels of pain, and poorer outcomes, as reported by patients with axSpA in CEE.
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