Gender differences in patient journey to diagnosis and diseaseoutcomes: results from the European Map of Axial Spondyloarthritis (EMAS)

Marco Garrido-Cumbrera, Denis Poddubnyy, Laure Gossec, Raj Mahapatra, Christine Bundy, Souzi Makri, Sergio Sanz-Gómez, Laura Christen, Carlos J. Delgado-Domínguez and Victoria Navarro-Compán on behalf of the EMAS Working Group

Clinical Rheumatology. 2021.

Objective

To evaluate the journey to diagnosis, disease characteristics and burden of disease in male and female patients with axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA) across Europe.

Methods

Data from 2846 unselected patients participating in the European Map of Axial Spondyloarthritis (EMAS) study through an online survey (2017–2018) across 13 countries were analysed. Sociodemographic characteristics, lifestyle, diagnosis, disease characteristics and patient-reported outcomes (PROs) [disease activity –BASDAI (0–10), spinal stiffness (3–12), functional limitations (0–54) and psychological distress (GHQ-12)] were compared between males and females using chi-square (for categorical variables) and student t (for continuous variables) tests.

Results

In total, 1100 (38.7%) males and 1746 (61.3%) females participated in the EMAS. Compared with males, females reported considerable longer diagnostic delay (6.1 ± 7.4 vs 8.2 ± 8.9 years; p < 0.001), higher number of visits to physiotherapists (34.5% vs 49.5%; p < 0.001) and to osteopaths (13.3% vs 24.4%; p < 0.001) before being diagnosed and lower frequency of HLA-B27 carriership (80.2% vs 66.7%; p < 0.001). In addition, females reported higher degree of disease activity in all BASDAI aspects and greater psychological distress through GHQ-12 (4.4 ± 4.2 vs 5.3 ± 4.1; p < 0.001), as well as a greater use of alternative therapies.

Conclusion

The patient journey to diagnosis of axSpA is much longer and arduous in females, which may be related to physician bias and lower frequency of HLA-B27 carriership. Regarding PROs, females experience higher disease activity and poorer psychological health compared with males. These results reflect specific unmet needs in females with axSpA needing particular attention.

Enlace al artículo: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10067-020-05558-7