Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Impact of early systemic lupus erythematosus on work disability—results from the Finnish nationwide register 2000–2007

  • Brief Report
  • Published:
Clinical Rheumatology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Objectives of this study were to examine work disability (WD) and its leading causes in incident SLE patients. Data were derived from the Finnish nationwide registries to identify all non-retired, 18 to 64-year-old incident SLE patients between 2000 and 2007. Sick benefits and WD pensions and the causes for them were monitored until the end of 2008. A total of 446 working-aged, incident SLE patients available for work force (mean age 42 ± 13 years, 89% females) were found. During the follow-up (median 5.3 years), WD pension was granted to 27 patients. The most common cause was SLE itself (14 patients, 52%), with cumulative incidence of 3.4% (95% CI 1.9 to 5.8) in 5 years and 5.0% (95% CI 3.0 to 8.5) in 8 years, followed by musculoskeletal and psychiatric causes. The age- and sex- adjusted incidence ratio for WD pension in SLE patients due to any cause was 5.4 (95% CI 3.7 to 7.9) compared to the Finnish population. The mean number of WD days was 32 (95% CI 28 to 35) per patient-year among all SLE patients during the follow-up. The study concludes that SLE patients have an increased risk for WD already in early course of the disease.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2

References

  1. Gaubitz (2006) Epidemiology of connective tissue disorders. Rheumatology 45:iii3–iii4

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  2. Huscher D, Merkesdal S, Thiele K, Zeidler H, Schneider M, Zink A, for the German Collaborative Arthritis Centres (2006) Cost of illness in rheumatoid arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, psoriatic arthritis and systemic lupus erythematosus in Germany. Ann Rheum Dis 65:1175–1183

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  3. Baker K, Pope J, Fortin P, Silverman E, Peschken C, 1000 Faces of Lupus Investigators, CaNIOS (Canadian Network for Improved Outcomes in SLE) (2009) Work disability in systemic lupus erythematosus is prevalent and associated with socio-demographic and disease related factors. Lupus 18:1281–1288

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  4. Bertoli AM, Fernández M, Alarcón GS, Vilá LM, Reveille JD (2007) Systemic lupus erythematosus in a multiethnic US cohort LUMINA (XLI): factors predictive of self-reported work disability. Ann Rheum Dis 66:12–17

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  5. Boomsma MM, Bilj M, Stegeman CA et al (2002) Patients’ perceptions of the effects of systemic lupus erythematosus on health, function, income, and interpersonal relationships: a comparison with Wegener’s granulomatosis. Arthritis Rheum 47:196–201

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  6. Campbell Jr R, Cooper GS, Gilkeson GS (2009) The impact of systemic lupus erythematosus on employment. J Rheumatol 36:2470–2475

    Article  Google Scholar 

  7. Dhanhani A, Gignac MAM, Su J, Fortin PR (2009) Work disability in systemic lupus erythematosus. Arthritis Rheum 61:378–385

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  8. Ekblom-Kullberg S, Kautiainen H, Alha P, Leirisalo-Repo M, Julkunen H (2015) Education, employment, absenteeism, and work disability in women with systemic lupus erythematosus. Scand J Rheumatol 44:157–162

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  9. Nived O, Andersson M, Lindgren M, Malcus-Johnsson P, Nihlberg A, Nived K, Reimer-Rasmusson G, Sturfelt G, Stahl-Hallengren C, Bengtsson AA (2007) Adherence with advice and prescriptions in SLE is mostly good, but better follow up is needed: a study with a questionnaire. Lupus 16:701–706

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  10. Mok CC, Cheung MY, Ho LY, Yu KL, To CH (2008) Risk and predictors of work disability in Chinese patients with systemic lupus erythematosus. Lupus 17:1103–1107

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  11. Partridge AJ, Karlson EW, Daltroy LH et al (1997) Risk factors for early work disability in systemic lupus erythematosus. Results from a multicenter study. Arthritis Rheum 40:2199–2206

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  12. Sutcliffe N, Clarke AE, Taylor R, Frost C, Isenberg DA (2001) Total costs and predictors of costs in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus. Rheumatology 40:37–47

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  13. Utset TO, Chohan S, Booth SA et al (2008) Correlates of formal work in an urban university systemic lupus erythematosus practice. J Rheumatol 35:1046–1052

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  14. Utset TO, Baskaran A, Segal BM et al (2015) Work disability, lost productivity and associated risk factors in patients diagnosed with systemic lupus erythematosus. Lupus Sci Med 2:e000058. https://doi.org/10.1136/lupus-2014-000058

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  15. Yazdany J, Yelin EH, Panopalis P et al (2008) Validation of the systemic lupus erythematosus activity questionnaire in a large obervational cohort. Arthritis Rheum 59:136–143

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  16. Zhu TY, Tam LS, Li EK (2012) Labour and non-labour market productivity in Chinese patients with systemic lupus erythematosus. Rheumatology 51:284–292

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  17. Statistics Finland (2011) www.tilastokeskus.fi. Accessed 15 Nov 2011

  18. Rantalaiho VM, Kautiainen H, Järvenpää S, Virta L, Pohjolainen T, Korpela M, Möttönen T, Puolakka K (2013) Decline in work disability caused by early rheumatoid arthritis: results from a nationwide Finnish register, 2000-8. Ann Rheum Dis 72:672–677

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  19. Baker K, Pope J (2009) Employment and work disability in systemic lupus erythematosus: a systematic review. Rheumatology 48:281–284

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  20. Zink A, Fischer-Betz R, Thiele K, Listing J, Huscher D, Gromnica-Ihle E, Specker C, Schneider M, German Collaborative Arthritis Centres (2004) Health care and burden of illness in systemic lupus erythematosus compared to rheumatoid arthritis: results from the National Database of the German Collaborative Arthritis Centres. Lupus 13:529–536

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Disclosures

The authors report following financial activities outside the submitted work: PE has received lecture fees from Abbvie and UCB Pharma and reimbursement of congress costs from Roche and Abbvie. KP has received honoraria from Pfizer, Lilly, MSD, Bristol Myers Squibb, UCB Pharma, Novartis, Roche, and Abbvie and reimbursement of congress costs from Roche, Pfizer, and Abbvie. OKS has received reimbursement of training and congress costs from Medac, MSD, Abbvie, Roche, and Pfizer. VR has received grant from Competitive State Research Financing of the Expert Responsibility Area of Tampere University Hospital, lecture fees from Pfizer, MSD and Bristol Myers Squibb, and reimbursement of training and congress costs from Celegen, Abbvie, Roche, and UCB Pharma.

There was no legal requirement for approval by an ethics committee, since we used only encrypted register data.

Funding

The study was financially supported by the grants from the Finnish Cultural Foundation, North Savo Regional fund, and the Finnish Rheumatic Disease Research Foundation.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Medicine, Kuopio University Hospital, P.O. Box 100, 70029 KYS, Kuopio, Finland

    Pia Elfving & Oili Kaipiainen-Seppänen

  2. Department of Medicine, South Karelia Central Hospital, Valto Käkelän katu 1, 53130, Lappeenranta, Finland

    Kari Puolakka

  3. Department of Internal Medicine, Centre for Rheumatic Diseases, Tampere University Hospital, Teiskontie 35, 33521, Tampere, Finland

    Vappu Rantalaiho

  4. School of Medicine, University of Tampere, Kalevantie 4, 33100, Tampere, Finland

    Vappu Rantalaiho

  5. Unit of Primary Health Care, Helsinki University Central Hospital, P.O. Box 100, 00029 HUS, Helsinki, Finland

    Hannu Kautiainen

  6. Department of General Practice, University of Helsinki, Helsingin yliopisto, P.O. Box 3, 00014, Helsinki, Finland

    Hannu Kautiainen

  7. Unit of Primary Health Care, Kuopio University Hospital, P.O. Box 100, 70029 KYS, Kuopio, Finland

    Hannu Kautiainen

  8. Research Department, Social Insurance Institution, Peltolantie 3, 20720, Turku, Finland

    Lauri J. Virta

Authors
  1. Pia Elfving
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Kari Puolakka
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Vappu Rantalaiho
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Hannu Kautiainen
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Lauri J. Virta
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Oili Kaipiainen-Seppänen
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Pia Elfving.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Elfving, P., Puolakka, K., Rantalaiho, V. et al. Impact of early systemic lupus erythematosus on work disability—results from the Finnish nationwide register 2000–2007. Clin Rheumatol 37, 1413–1416 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10067-018-4066-6

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10067-018-4066-6

Keywords

Search

Navigation