Rheumatoid arthritis causes retirement

STOCKHOLM, Sweden, Feb. 6 (UPI) -- Up to 50 percent of those with rheumatoid arthritis retire early and apply for a disability pension within 10 years of onset, a Swedish study found.

Researchers at the Stockholm School of Economics, the University of Lund in Sweden and the Medical University of Vienna have shown that the highest cost in rheumatoid arthritis results from patients having to leave the workforce early due to the disease.

The study, published online in a supplement to Springer's The European Journal of Health Economics, Up to two-thirds of the costs for rheumatoid arthritis patients are outside the healthcare sector, such as productivity losses, out-of-pocket costs by the patients, informal care and early retirement.

"Of all the chronic diseases, rheumatoid arthritis has one of the biggest impacts on the quality of life of patients," Josef Smolen, a rheumatologist at the Medical University of Vienna. "Patient access to good care and treatment including thorough follow-up examinations and access to innovative drug therapies, where indicated, are critical elements that will benefit all of society."

The study also found the intake of the drugs for rheumatoid arthritis in the United States was about three times higher than that of Western Europe.