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 .
High work disability rate among rheumatoid arthritis patients in Lithuania.
OBJECTIVE To evaluate labor force characteristics among patients with rheumatoid arthritis ( RA ) in Lithuania . To assess if Lithuania 's transition from a state-planned to a free-market economy after 1990 changed the employment perspectives of patients with RA . METHODS RA patients , age 16 - 65 years ( n = 238 ) , were r and omly selected from the RA register in Vilnius . They completed questions about sociodemographics , working status , and disease characteristics , they underwent a clinical examination , and they completed the  modified Health Assessment Question naire and the Short Form 36 .  RESULTS Age- and sex-adjusted employment was 24.2 % lower and work disability 51.7 % higher in patients compared with the general population in Lithuania . After 10 years of disease , 48 % of the patients had withdrawn from the labor force . In those with a paid job , the average sick leave in the past year was 31.9 days compared with the national average of 10.8 days . Although disease activity was not significantly different in employed compared with work-disabled patients , physical function and perceived quality of life ( except general health ) were worse among patients with work disability . The change in economic organization in 1990 was noted to increase the risk for work withdrawal by a factor of 2.75 ( 95 % confidence interval 1.68 - 4.53 ) . CONCLUSION In Lithuania , the impact of RA on work disability is important . Although work disability in Lithuanian patients with RA seems more pronounced compared with reports from Western societies , variables associated with work disability are comparable . The transition to a market-orientated economy in 1990 increased the risk of becoming work disabled
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 .