Spondyloarthritis Fast Facts

• SpAs are a group of diseases sharing common genetic and clinical features¹

• The condition impacts up to 2% of white populations in the EU and North America¹

• Men are 2.5 times more likely to be affected by any form of SpA than women¹

• SpA is closely related to the presence of the HLA-B27 gene²

Terminology

• · Spondyloarthritides is the plural for Spondyloarthritis - a group of inflammatory arthritic diseases sharing common clinical and genetic features¹
• · SpAs are characterized by the following:¹

• Axial SpA – involving inflammation of the spine or sacroiliac joints. This includes the most severe form - ankylosing spondylitis (AS)²
• Peripheral SpA – characterised by peripheral arthritis, enthesitis (heel pain) and dactylitis (swelling of the finger)¹

Epidemiology

• · SpAs affect up to 2% of white European and North American populations¹
• · Men are 2.5 times more likely to be affected by women¹

• AS is the most frequent and severe sub-type, affecting 0.3–0.5% of people²

Risk Factors

• Carriers of the HLA-B27 gene which is present in more than 90% of AS patients²
• Psoriatic skin lesions²
• Colitis due to inflammatory bowel disease (IBD)²

Symptoms

• Inflammatory back pain lasting more than three months¹
• Morning stiffness in the spine, lasting more than 30 minutes¹
• Alternating buttock pain¹
• Arthritis²
• Eye inflammation (uveitis)³
• Fatigue³

Treatment

Treatment of SpAs will be dependent on the type and severity of each condition. Types of treatment can include:

• Pharmacotherapy:³
  • Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs)
  • Steroids
  • Disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDs)
  • Biologic drugs
• Non-medicinal:³
  • Ice packs and heat pads to relieve joint pain and swelling
  • Use of a transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation machine (TENS)
  • A healthy diet
  • Exercise such as swimming to relax joints

References

1. Poddubnyy D. Improving diagnosis of ankylosing spondylitis and spondyloarthritis in general Int. J. Clin. R heumatol. 655-667 (2011) 6(6)

2. Braun J, Sieper J. Early diagnosis of spondyloarthritis. Nature Clinical Practice Rheumatology 2006; 2:536-545

3. Arthritis Care. Spondyloarthritis Factsheet. http://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&frm=1&source=web&cd=2&ved=0CCkQFjAB&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.arthritiscare.org.uk%2F%403235%2FListedbytype%2FFactsheets%2Fmain_content%2FSpondyloarthritisFactsheetjune2011.pdf&ei=mk1PUJbVLYnNsgb534GYDQ&usg=AFQjCNGPcLOPVkRkRuHqlOKoO57UGwS2MA&sig2=FO5RLdySTUs__WBUr8M51g (accessed September 2012)