Abstract

Hamza Toufik*, Julien H. Djossou, Maijad Abderrahim, Mohamed Ahmed Ghassem, Najlae El Ouardi, Aziza Mounach and Lahsen Achemlal

ABSTRACT

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and ankylosing spondylitis (AS) are the two most frequent chronic inflammatory rheumatism (CIR). Their invalidating nature and their medical care explain the importance of the socio-economic impact that they generate. This work summarizes the studies that have addressed this aspect in patients. Most of these studies are unanimous on the economic, socioprofessional, sexual and family consequences of the two CIRs. The predictive factors of high cost are mainly the importance of the functional repercussion of the RIC and the use of biotherapy. Productivity losses make up the largest part of the total cost of RA and AS. The professional incapacity caused by these CIRs is often responsible for a temporary or permanent cessation of work and at best for a professional reclassification. In the family environment, the impact of these CIRs is essentially the disruption of the couple’s sexual and marital life and the impairment of quality of life concerning the patient’s children of school-age. All these damages attributed to RA and SPA raise a problem of patient support and socio-professional and family adjustment.