RA-related work-disability rates were similar in the USA and European countries .
An apparent decrease in the prevalence of RA-related work disability since the 1970s may be related to a decrease in physically dem and ing work rather than to epidemiologic changes in RA .
The majority of the literature addresses permanent disability and temporary work loss ; none of the studies review ed reported the effect of RA on presenteeism , i.e. work limitation from the employer perspective , and there are few published studies of the effectiveness of disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs in reducing work-related productivity loss
BACKGROUND Rheumatoid arthritis ( RA ) is a chronic , debilitating disease with a significant impact on workplace productivity .
AIM To perform a systematic review of studies of the relationship between RA and reduced  workplace productivity .
Work disability in rheumatoid arthritis 10 years after the diagnosis.
OBJECTIVE To describe employment status of patients with early rheumatoid arthritis ( RA ) 10 years after diagnosis ; and to identify predictive and associative factors related to permanent work disability . METHODS The study population consisted of 82 patients with early RA who were gainfully employed at onset of RA . Patients were prospect ively followed for an average of 10 years and were treated according to the " sawtooth " strategy . RESULTS After a time since diagnosis of 2 and an average of 9.9 years , respectively , 19/82 ( 19 % ) and 36/82 ( 44 % ) cases have been retired merely or partly due to RA . Further , at the latest checkup 42/82 ( 51 % ) patients were still gainfully employed , while the prevalence of patients working full time under the common retirement age of 65 yrs was 58 % ( 42/72 ) . Cox regression analysis revealed that physically heavy work at baseline was the strongest independent predictive factor for permanent work disability . Ten years after disease onset , however , work disabled patients had more severe disease than those who continued in work . CONCLUSION Our study confirms that the working capacity of patients with RA is in danger from the very start . Despite early and active therapy with disease modifying antirheumatic drugs , at 10 years the cumulative work disability prevalence was 44 %
RA-related work-disability rates were similar in the USA and European countries .
An apparent decrease in the prevalence of RA-related work disability since the 1970s may be related to a decrease in physically dem and ing work rather than to epidemiologic changes in RA .
The majority of the literature addresses permanent disability and temporary work loss ; none of the studies review ed reported the effect of RA on presenteeism , i.e. work limitation from the employer perspective , and there are few published studies of the effectiveness of disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs in reducing work-related productivity loss
BACKGROUND Rheumatoid arthritis ( RA ) is a chronic , debilitating disease with a significant impact on workplace productivity .
AIM To perform a systematic review of studies of the relationship between RA and reduced  workplace productivity .