The British Society for Rheumatology Biologics Register in Ankylosing Spondylitis (BSRBR-AS) is a research project which collected data from 1810 people with axial spondyloarthritis across the UK. We used this data to try and discover what were the most important factors that influenced patients’ quality of life.
What did the study find?
The two main factors related to poor quality of life were:
- having active axial spondyloarthritis
- having worse physical function
In addition, fatigue, poor sleep, and mood also contributed to poorer quality of life.
What is the main message from these results?
This study shows that it is not just disease activity and poor function that need to be improved to improve patients’ quality of life. We must also take care to consider fatigue, sleep, mood, and other common symptoms that also have an impact on a person's wellbeing.
Who funded this work?
The study was supported by the British Society for Rheumatology, who received funding for this from Pfizer, AbbVie and UCB.
Where can I read more?
You can read the full scientific paper here.