Clinical aspects
Comorbidity and health care utilisation in persons with Sjögren’s syndrome: a claims data analysis
K. Albrecht1, T. Dörner2, I. Redeker3, K. Karberg4, U. Marschall5, A. Zink6, J. Callhoff7
- German Rheumatism Research Centre, Epidemiology Unit, Berlin, Germany. albrecht@drfz.de
- German Rheumatism Research Centre, Epidemiology Unit, Berlin, and Charité University Medicine Berlin, Germany.
- German Rheumatism Research Centre, Epidemiology Unit, Berlin, Germany.
- Practice for Rheumatology and Internal Medicine, Berlin, Germany.
- BARMER Statutory Health Insurance Fund, Wuppertal, Germany.
- German Rheumatism Research Centre, Epidemiology Unit, Berlin, and Charité University Medicine Berlin, Germany.
- German Rheumatism Research Centre, Epidemiology Unit, Berlin, Germany.
CER13672
2020 Vol.38, N°4 ,Suppl.126
PI 0078, PF 0084
Clinical aspects
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PMID: 33025885 [PubMed]
Received: 08/06/2020
Accepted : 29/07/2020
In Press: 18/09/2020
Published: 22/10/2020
Abstract
OBJECTIVES:
To capture comorbidity and medication of persons with Sjögren’s syndrome (SS) in a population-based cohort in comparison to matched controls.
METHODS:
Individuals with an outpatient diagnosis of M35.0 (ICD-10) in ≥2 quarters of a year or an inpatient diagnosis of M35.0 were identified in a German statutory health insurance fund covering 7.2 million people. Persons in rheumatologic care were grouped by incident or prevalent diagnosis and by co-existing autoimmune disease (sSS) or primary (p)SS and compared to age- and sex-matched controls regarding comorbidity (ICD-10), medical prescriptions, hospitalisation and inability to work in the previous year.
RESULTS:
In 2018, 7,283 persons (0.10%) had incident and 54,273 persons (0.75%) prevalent SS diagnosis, and 5,961 (11%) were in rheumatologic care. Of these (90% female, mean age 66 years), 3,457 (58%) had further autoimmune disease (sSS), mostly rheumatoid arthritis (80%) and systemic lupus erythematosus (13%). Compared to controls, frequent comorbid conditions in SS were hypertension (controls: 52%, pSS: 55%, sSS: 63%), osteoarthritis (22%/40%/47%), osteoporosis (10%/26%/38%) and depression (21%/34%/36%). Systemic antirheumatic drugs were prescribed in 31% (pSS) and 66% (sSS) while < 5% received topical therapies. Glucocorticoids (8%/34%/59%), NSAIDs (28%/41%/45%), opioids (8%/15%/21%), analgesics (19%/30%/36%) and antidepressants (14%/21%/21%) were frequently prescribed. Compared to controls, hospitalisation (21%/32%/39%) and inability to work in persons <65 years (41%/48%/44%, median days 17/24/30) were more frequent in pSS and sSS than in controls.
CONCLUSIONS:
SS claims diagnosis is associated with substantial comorbidity and frequent prescription of anti-inflammatory drugs, analgesics and antidepressants. The individual and societal burden of SS shows that, in addition to effective treatment strategies, intensive attention to comorbidities is important in this disease.
