SAT0187 TRENDS IN EMPLOYMENT AND HOSPITALIZATION IN PATIENTS WITH SJÖGREN’S SYNDROME 1993–2016: RESULTS FROM THE GERMAN NATIONAL DATABASE
Authors: Johanna Callhoff, Katja Thiele, Thomas Dörner, Angela Zink, Jörg Henes, Jutta Richter, Katinka Albrecht
Journal: Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases (2019)

<h3>Background</h3> During the last 20 years, employment rates increased substantially in the German population and also in patients with arthritis [1]. Whether patients with primary Sjögren's syndrome (pSS) also show this trend is less clear in the absence of new treatment options. <h3>Objectives</h3> To assess trends in treatment and outcomes in patients pSS, focusing on employment, hospitalization and medical treatment in the past two decades. <h3>Methods</h3> From 1996 to 2016, ∼300 patients with pSS were documented annually in the National Database of the German Collaborative Arthritis Centres. Data on treatment, physician assessment of disease activity, patient-reported outcomes, hospitalization and employment were collected and compared to patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), matched 1:1 for age, sex and disease duration for each calendar year. <h3>Results</h3> Patients with pSS (&gt;90% female, age ∼44 years at disease onset, disease duration ∼10 years) were more frequently assessed to be in low disease activity in 2016 (93%) than in 1996 (62%, p&lt;0.01). Treatment with antimalarials increased (31% to 50%, p&lt;0.01) and less patients were on glucocorticoids (50% to 34%, p&lt;0.01); Less than 5% were treated with biologics in 2016. The percentage of employed patients (&lt;65 years) increased by 21 percentage points (43% to 64%, p&lt;0.001), exceeding the increase observed for RA patients (+15 percentage points). In 2016, significantly less patients compared to 1996 were on early retirement (22% and 10%, p=0.01), hospitalized/year (13 and 7%, p=0.08) or on temporary sick leave (27% compared to 39%, p=0.09). This trend is comparable to RA patients. <h3>Conclusion</h3> Overall, similar trends were observed for RA and pSS cohorts despite minor changes in pSS therapy. Work participation has improved significantly over two decades in pSS. A greater perception of pSS without systemic manifestations may have caused a shift towards less severely affected patient cohorts today. <h3>Reference</h3> [1] Mau W, Listing J, Huscher D, Zeidler H, Zink A. Employment across chronic inflammatory rheumatic diseases and comparison with the general population. J Rheumatol. 2005;32(4):721-8 <h3>Acknowledgement</h3> The database is funded by unconditional grants from the German Collaborative Arthritis Centres and from a consortium of 9 pharmaceutical companies to the German Academy for Continuing Medical Education in Rheumatology. <h3>Disclosure of Interests</h3> Johanna Callhoff: None declared, Katja Thiele: None declared, Thomas Dörner Grant/research support from: Eli Lilly, Janssen, Roche, UCB Pharma, Consultant for: Eli Lilly, Janssen, Roche, UCB Pharma, Speakers bureau: Eli Lilly, Janssen, Angela Zink Speakers bureau: Speakers fees from AbbVie, Janssen, Pfizer, Roche, Sanofi, Jörg Henes: None declared, Jutta Richter Grant/research support from: GlaxoSmithKline and UCB Pharma for performing the LuLa-study., Katinka Albrecht: None declared