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The condition is three more times as common in men than women and symptoms tend to develop gradually, sometimes over many years.

Now experts have revealed the pain and the extreme tiredness which the condition causes can have a major impact on quality of life for people with the condition.

Scientists said this suggests new approaches to treating this painful condition may be needed.

Ankylosing spondylitis causes back pain, stiffness, fatigue and impaired mobility that develops over time.

There is no cure for AS at the moment.

However, a new study has shed light on some of the most prevalent modifiable factors that predict a poor quality of life in people with ankylosing spondylitis.

The University of Aberdeen research has indicated that some of these factors - which include pain, fatigue and poor physical function - are currently better monitored than others.

The study analysed data from 959 patients involved in the Scotland Registry for Ankylosing Spondylitis, which collected clinical and patient-reported data on ankylosing spondylitis from across Scotland.

A total of five factors were identified as independent predictors of a poor quality of life among patients: moderate to severe fatigue, poor physical function, chronic widespread pain, high disease activity and poor spinal mobility.

Physical function is generally monitored using a tool called the Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Functional Index (BASFI), while the Bath

Ankylosing Spondylitis Disease Activity Index (BASDAI) is used to measure disease activity, and the Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Metrology Index (BASMI) is used to assess spinal mobility.

However, this leaves two factors - chronic widespread pain and fatigue - that do not receive the same attention.

It was suggested that the nonspecific nature of these symptoms may explain why they are not traditionally monitored in ankylosing spondylitis to the same degree.

However, given the important role they play in patients' quality of life, it could be beneficial for these trends to be monitored more closely.

The researchers said: "These findings provide evidence that in addition to traditional clinical targets (BASDAI, BASFI and BASMI), focus on nonspecific symptoms (chronic widespread pain and fatigue) - perhaps with non pharmacological therapies - may yield important improvements in quality of life."

Dr Devi Rani Sagar, research liaison manager at Arthritis Research UK, said: "Ankylosing spondyloarthritis is an incredibly painful condition, which affects 200,000 people in the UK and can dramatically reduce a person's quality of life, making everyday activities such as walking to the shops and standing in the kitchen extremely difficult.

"This new study demonstrates the impact that pain and fatigue can have on quality of life for people with this condition, and that monitoring these symptoms may help to give a better indication of the success of treatments.

We welcome more research to find effective ways to reduce pain and fatigue to help make everyday life better for people with arthritis."

Woman's arthritis symptoms were cured with miracle device previously used on horses.

See the rest here:
Back pain and fatigue? Symptoms could be warning sign of THIS form of arthritis - Express.co.uk

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