Sokka T
Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee, USA.
Clin Exp Rheumatol. 2003 Sep-Oct;21(5 Suppl 31):S71-4.
Patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) are at risk of work disability from the very start of their symptoms. Prospective cohorts including patients with early RA show that 20-30% become permanently work disabled during the first 2-3 years of the disease. Risk factors for early work disability include a physically demanding job, older age, and lower educational level, as well as the level of functional disability in daily activities. Work disability accounts for a major fraction of the costs of RA both to the patient and to society. Improved work disability outcomes in RA may require attention to social, economic, and political issues, and broader physician and public education concerning RA, in addition to improved medical management of the disease.
类风湿关节炎（RA）患者从出现症状之初就面临工作残疾的风险。包括早期RA患者在内的前瞻性队列研究表明，20% - 30%的患者在疾病的头2 - 3年里会永久性地丧失工作能力。早期工作残疾的风险因素包括体力要求高的工作、年龄较大、教育水平较低，以及日常活动中的功能残疾程度。工作残疾在RA给患者和社会带来的成本中占很大一部分。除了改善疾病的医疗管理外，改善RA患者的工作残疾状况可能需要关注社会、经济和政治问题，以及对医生和公众进行更广泛的关于RA的教育。
