ArticleRMD open2021
Changes in ankylosing spondylitis incidence, prevalence and time to diagnosis over two decades.
Article in RMD open, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 40 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.
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Who cites it
40 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.
- Risk of Multiple Sclerosis Among Users of Antitumor Necrosis Factor α in 4 Canadian Provinces: A Population-Based Study.Neurology · 2023Pooled it
- Investigating the causal relationship between ankylosing spondylitis and osteoporosis in the European population: a bidirectional Mendelian randomization study.Frontiers in immunology · 2023Pooled it
- HLA-B27-associated gut microbiota and amino acid perturbations promote ankylosing spondylitis through M1 macrophage activation.Gut microbes · 2026Article
- How do general practitioners diagnose and refer potential rheumatic musculoskeletal complaints? A scoping review.Clinical rheumatology · 2026Article
- Review
- Post-Marketing Safety Surveillance of Autoimmune Diseases Following Bivalent Human Papillomavirus Vaccination in China.Vaccines · 2026Article
- Efficacy and safety of subcutaneous golimumab in Syrian patients with ankylosing spondylitis: A cohort study.The Journal of international medical research · 2026Observational
- Ten-year hip and knee arthroplasty implant survival in patients with inflammatory arthritis receiving methotrexate monotherapy compared with osteoarthritis: a registry-based data linkage study.Scientific reports · 2026Article
- Descriptive Analysis and Postoperative Surgical Complications of Ankylosing Spondylitis and Diffuse Idiopathic Skeletal Hyperostosis Patients at a Midwest Tertiary Referral Center.The Iowa orthopaedic journal · 2026Article
- The role of exosomes in ankylosing spondylitis: from biological features and functional cargo to clinical applications.Frontiers in molecular biosciences · 2026Review
- 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
- NETosis-Related Biomarkers in Systemic Lupus Erythematosus, Rheumatoid Arthritis, Psoriatic Arthritis and Ankylosing Spondylitis: A Comparative Study.International journal of molecular sciences · 2025Article
- Age-Specific Risk Factors for Cancer in a Long-Term Korean Cohort of Patients with Ankylosing Spondylitis Treated with TNF Inhibitors.Journal of clinical medicine · 2025Article
- Serum Levels of 54 Cytokines and Chemokines Reveal Distinct Inflammatory Signatures in Ankylosing Spondylitis.Immunity, inflammation and disease · 2025Article
- Aggregate Distributional Cost-Effectiveness Analysis of Biologics for the Treatment of Ankylosing Spondylitis in Chile.Applied health economics and health policy · 2025Article
- The Relationship Between Autoimmune Disorders and Multiple Sclerosis: Clinical Insights and Therapeutic Approaches.Brain sciences · 2025Article
- Low Frequency of HLA-B27 in Ankylosing Spondylitis Patients from Turkey: Insights from the Thrace Region.Medical science monitor : international medical journal of experimental and clinical research · 2025Article
- Review
- The Causal Relationships and Therapeutic Targets of Plasma Proteins in Ankylosing Spondylitis.Biomedicines · 2025Article
- Evolving trends in the prevalence and treatment of ankylosing spondylitis in Korea from 2010 to 2023: a population-based study.Scientific reports · 2025Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
5 authors.
Funding
Abstract
objectivesTo assess changes in ankylosing spondylitis (AS) incidence, prevalence and time to diagnosis, between 1998 and 2017.
methodsUsing UK GP data from the Clinical Practice Research Datalink, we identified patients diagnosed with AS between 1998 and 2017. We estimated the annual AS incidence, prevalence and length of time from first recorded symptom of back pain to rheumatology referral and diagnosis.
resultsWe identified 12 333 patients with AS. The incidence declined from 0.72 (±0.14) per 10 000 patient-years in 1998 to 0.39 (±0.06) in 2007, with this decline significant only in men, then incidence rose to 0.57 (±0.11) in 2017. By contrast, prevalence increased between 1998 and 2017 (from 0.13%±0.006 to 0.18%±0.006), rising steeply among women (from 0.06%±0.05 to 0.10%±0.06) and patients aged ≥60 (from 0.14%±0.01 to 0.26%±0.01). The overall median time from first symptom to rheumatology referral was 4.87 years (IQR=1.42-10.23). The median time from first symptom to diagnosis rose between 1998 and 2017 (from 3.62 years (IQR=1.14-7.07) to 8.31 (IQR=3.77-15.89)) and was longer in women (6.71 (IQR=2.30-12.36)) than men (5.65 (IQR=1.66-11.20)).
conclusionAS incidence declined significantly between 1998 and 2007, with an increase between 2007 and 2017 that may be explained by an improvement in the recognition of AS or confidence in diagnosing AS over time, stemming from increased awareness of inflammatory back pain and the importance of early treatment. The rising AS prevalence may indicate improved patient survival. The persisting delay in rheumatology referral and diagnosis remains of concern, particularly in women.
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