Rheumatoid arthritis patients could be suffering unnecessarily, says UK researcher

New UK research reveals one-third of people with rheumatoid arthritis remain on therapies despite them not working properly and almost 40% feel that more treatments need to be made available. The research released on September 7 backs-up findings presented in a recent National Audit Office report which finds that there is a lack of quality support and information available to patients to help them self-manage their condition.

Leading UK rheumatologist, Prof John Isaacs, Institute of Cellular Medicine, Newcastle University, says: 'Patients need to be aware that new therapies, which offer different approaches to treating the condition are being developed all the time. Rheumatoid arthritis is now a rapidly developing field and when patients develop symptoms, they must go back to their rheumatologist and explain the problems they are having.'

The research, commissioned by Swiss drug major Roche's subsidiaries Roche Products Ltd and Chugai Pharma UK Ltd, conducted with input from 100 people with RA, found 40% of patients do not discuss one debilitating symptom of their RA - fatigue - with their doctor or nurse. 56% believe fatigue is something that they just have to put up with and 18% feel they would be wasting their health care providers' time if they discussed this symptom.

'We hope that the research published today will encourage patients to take a more active role in managing their condition,' said Lynn Love, Director of Operations, National Rheumatoid Arthritis Society (NRAS). 'With a condition such as RA, which has a significant impact on day-to-day life and affects individuals in such different ways, it is important that the most appropriate treatment is prescribed for them to prevent long-term disability.'

The guidelines from the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE), which advises on treatments under the National Health Service in England and Wales, recommends that people with RA should make informed decisions about their care and treatment. Timely treatment reviews are required to stop the joint damage associated with the condition and to help the 582,000 people in the UK with RA2 maintain their quality of life, says the NRAS. Patients who are unsure what action they should be taking to manage their condition should speak to their health care providers and can also contact the dedicated NRAS helpline for advice and support..

The estimated costs of RA to the NHS are around £560 million ($918.4 million) a year, with an additional £1.8 billion cost to the economy in sick leave and work-related disability, the Society notes.