Abstract
Objective:  The objective of this study is to assess the frequency, and risk factors of ankylosing spondylitis (AS) and its corresponding treatment patterns and drug utilization within the context of real-world clinical practice.
Methods: After the ethical approval from the institutional review board, this cohort study was conducted at Mayo hospital from June 2023 to December 2023. The collected data encompassed various aspects related to the diagnosis of ankylosing spondylitis (AS) by physicians. This encompassed their method of identifying AS, the particular tests and evaluations used to verify the diagnosis, and the demographic and clinical traits of the patients included. The study also analysed the percentage of patients identified as HLA-B27 positive, the time elapsed between the appearance of initial symptoms and the diagnosis of ankylosing spondylitis, the satisfaction of classification criteria, and the treatment strategies employed, such as advanced therapies for controlling AS disease activity.
Results: The mean values for current disease activity and functional index scores were 3.3±2.1 and 1.8±1.09 in the Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Disease Activity Index (BASDAI) and Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Functional Index (BASFI), respectively. The patients in the study had received treatment with any TNFi for an average period of 3.1±2.1 years. At the time of study enrolment, adalimumab (43%) and Infliximab (27%) were the most frequently utilized TNFi among the four evaluated in this investigation. In the examination of treatment satisfaction, it was observed that the convenience domain had the lowest score (4.2), whereas the scores for side effects, effectiveness, and global satisfaction were 93.7, 75.41, and 73.81, respectively.
Conclusion: Adalimumab was the TNFi most often administered, with Infliximab being the subsequent choice. Adalimumab was administered for the most extended period of time. The use of more accessible treatment choices has the potential to improve overall treatment satisfaction. This research revealed a significant decrease in productivity as a result of AS. In order to include the viewpoints of patients, it is important to give additional consideration to the aspects that are linked to treatment satisfaction and the loss of productivity while making decisions on treatment alternatives.
Keywords: prevalence, risk factors, disease patterns, ankylosing spondylitis