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Prevalence of ankylosing spondylitis has nearly tripled in Ontario since 2003
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The prevalence of ankylosing spondylitis has nearly tripled in Ontario, Canada, since 2003, and the proportion of women with newly diagnosed disease continues to increase, according to study findings.
Through a retrospective analysis of the Ontario Health Insurance Plan Registered Database and the Canadian Institute for Health Information Discharge Abstract Database, researchers identified 24,976 individuals 15 years or older who were diagnosed with ankylosing spondylitis (AS) between 1995 and 2010 based on ICD-9 and ICD-10 codes.
The researchers calculated crude, age- and sex-standardized incidence and prevalence of AS between 1995 and 2010, and also analyzed trends in prevalence and the incidence of men and women with AS separately.
The researchers found the overall incidence of AS remained stable (between 14 and 16 per 100,000 population) during the study period. However, the prevalence of AS increased about two-fold in men, from 101 per 100,000 in 1995 to 238 per 100,000 in 2010, and by more than three-fold in women, from 59 per 100,000 to 190 per 100,000.
Throughout the study period, the male-to-female ratio decreased significantly, from 1.7 in 1995 to 1.21 in 2010, according to the researchers.
The number of male patients with AS in 1995 was 4,315, which increased to 13,660 in 2010, whereas the number of female patients increased from 2,615 to 11,316.
Although the incidence of AS in women was higher in 2010, but not in men, the number of men who were diagnosed before age 45 years was 50.8% compared with 44.2% of women, according to the researchers.
Disclosure: The authors have no relevant financial disclosures.
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