Date published: 01.09.08 - not release date

No Love, Actually for people with RA

Embargoed until 00:01am Friday 12 October 2007

Research shows the real price of rheumatoid arthritis

The story? The painful inflammatory disease rheumatoid arthritis costs society £1.3 billion a year.1 But research published to mark World Arthritis Day has shown that the real price paid by sufferers is far higher.

New research conducted on behalf of the ReAlife Campaign has shown that rheumatoid arthritis (RA), a form of severe arthritis which often affects people in their thirties and forties,2 not only causes pain and joint damage, but contributes to relationship stress too.

The research found that:3
•Nearly 66% (61%) of RA sufferers say their sex life has been affected by the condition
•70% of people aged 25-34 feel that RA has had a negative impact on their relationship with their partner
•15% cite RA as a contributing factor in their divorce/ separation
•36% feel the disease makes it difficult to embark on new relationships
•Around one third of people with RA fail to tell their healthcare professionals the full extent of their symptoms

Doctor Andrew Östör, Consultant Rheumatologist at Addenbrooke’s Hospital Cambridge said: “The key to effective management of RA is open and honest communication between patients and their doctor or nurse. We need to make sure that patients have realistic treatment expectations and that they aren't suffering from unnecessary discomfort. There are a variety of treatments available, including recently launched therapies such as rituximab which targets the B-cells in the inflammatory cascade. Such developments mean that no one should be left in unnecessary pain and unable to cope with physical intimacy.”

Susan Quilliam, leading sex psychologist commented: “Sexuality can help provide intimacy, pleasure and help maintain a sense of normality in relationships affected by chronic illness. For people with RA the pain and fatigue caused by unmanaged disease can make intimacy seem impossible. This shouldn’t be the case. It is vital that patients talk to their healthcare professionals about their concerns and make sure they communicate openly with their partner to keep their relationships strong.”

The ReAlife Campaign, sponsored by Roche Products Ltd, strives to improve understanding of the day-to-day impact of RA and make sure the real price of the disease is not forgotten.


For more info, or to arrange an interview with Susan Quilliam, Doctor Andrew Östör, contact:
Red Door Communications
Sarah Aldridge
Telephone: 020 8392 8040
Email: saldridge@rdcomms.com

Roche Products Ltd
Teva Dawson
Telephone: 01707 366861
Email: teva.dawson@roche.com


Notes to Editors
About RA
There are currently over 487,000 people in England and Wales with RA,4,5 many of whom will only be in their 30s when the disease onsets.2 The disease can cause relentless pain, extreme fatigue, disability and has significant impact on peoples’ social and working lives. Between 1999-2000, 9.4 million working days were lost in Great Britain due to this disease, the equivalent of £833 million in lost production.6 RA is an autoimmune disease characterised by inflammation that leads to painful, stiff and swollen joints.

About Roche in the UK
Roche aims to improve people's health and quality of life with innovative products and services for the early detection, prevention, diagnosis and treatment of disease. Part of one of the world’s leading healthcare groups, Roche in the UK employs nearly 2,000 people in pharmaceuticals and diagnostics. Globally Roche is the leader in diagnostics, and a major supplier of medicines for the treatment of cancer, transplantation, virology, bone and rheumatology, obesity and renal anaemia. Find out more at www.rocheuk.com


1. Barrett EM, Scott DGI, Wiles NJ and Symmons D. The impact of rheumatoid arthritis on employment status in the early years of disease: a UK community-based study. Rheumatology 2000; 39: 1403-1409.
2. NetDoctor. http://www.netdoctor.co.uk/diseases/facts/arthritis.htm
3. ICM Research. Rheumatoid Arthritis. June 2007
4. Symmons D, et al. The prevalence of rheumatoid arthritis in the United Kingdom: new estimates for a new century. Rheumatology 2002;41:793–800
5. National Statistics Online, UK Population Estimates, http://www.statistics.gov.uk/CCI/nugget.asp?ID=6. Accessed 6/08/2007
6. Department of Works and Pensions. Analytical Services Division www.dwp.gov.uk In Arthritis Research Campaign (ARC) Arthritis: the big picture 2002 http://www.arc.org.uk/about_arth/BigPic.pdf [Accessed 19/06/06]