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 .
Association between etanercept use and employment outcomes among patients with rheumatoid arthritis.
OBJECTIVE To assess the association between use of etanercept and employment outcomes among patients with rheumatoid arthritis ( RA ) . METHODS In 1999 , 497 RA patients of working ages ( 18 - 64 years ) reported their employment status in the year of diagnosis and as of the study year , in structured telephone interviews . Of these , 238 had been in clinical trials of etanercept and were currently taking that medication , while 259 were members of an observational study and were not taking etanercept .  We used regression techniques to estimate whether employment outcomes in 1999 ( employed versus not and , among the employed , hours of work per week , weeks of work per year , and hours of work per year ) among the 379 of the 497 patients who were employed at the time of diagnosis were associated with etanercept use , with and without adjustment for demographic characteristics , RA status , overall health status , and the nature of the job held at the time of diagnosis . RESULTS At the time of diagnosis , 75 % of RA patients from the observational study who did not take etanercept and 77 % of those who did take the medication were employed . By 1999 , among those employed at diagnosis , 55 % of the former group and 71 % of the latter were employed ( difference 16 percentage points ) . After adjustment for demographics , overall health status , duration of RA , RA status , and occupation and industry , the difference widened to 20 percentage points . Among all who were employed at the time of diagnosis , those from the etanercept clinical trials worked an average of 5.4 more hours per week in 1999 ; after adjustment , the etanercept group worked 7.4 more hours per week . CONCLUSION Among all persons who were employed at the time of RA diagnosis , having been in the etanercept clinical trials was associated with higher employment rates in 1999 and a greater number of hours per week of work in that year , suggesting that a r and omized trial to establish the relationship between treatment and employment outcomes is now warranted
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 .