One of the main problems that people with rheumatic diseases can suffer is having a late diagnosis, which occurs in some areas such as spondyloarthritis, systemic autoimmune diseases or autoinflammatory diseases due, in many cases, to their non-specific symptoms of beginning. “The main risk of delay in diagnosis is that it can lead to irreversible damage, when with the establishment of appropriate treatment the long-term prognosis of these diseases could be improved,” said Dr. Sagrario Bustabad, president of the Society. Spanish Rheumatology (SER).
The expert adds that to this problem we must add the lack of knowledge that currently exists in relation to rheumatic diseases on the part of the population. “On many occasions, those affected are not able to associate certain symptoms with the possibility of having a rheumatic disease, so they postpone their visit to the Primary Care doctor so that he can assess whether the pain, stiffness or lack of mobility that suffer could be caused by one of the more than 200 rheumatic diseases that exist and refer them to a Rheumatology specialist,” highlighted Dr. Bustabad within the framework of the I Symposium on Autoinflammatory Diseases, which was held on December 1 and 2 in Tenerife.
For this reason, and due to the lack of information about rheumatic diseases; as well as the consolidation of certain myths that still exist, such as thinking that rheumatic diseases are exclusively associated with older people, the Spanish Rheumatology Foundation has launched the “Waiting” campaign to improve early diagnosis and put The importance of recognizing some rheumatic symptoms is evident.
“Lack of time is a recurring theme in today’s society. Often, people postpone important things that should not wait, such as health, prioritizing others that we believe are urgent and could wait,” highlighted Dr. Olaia Fernandez Berrizbeitia, from the Rheumatology Service of the Basurto University Hospital. and coordinator of the Communication and Patients Commission of the SER.
The importance of improving knowledge of rheumatic diseases
There are more than 200 systemic rheumatic and autoimmune diseases described, including rheumatoid arthritis, Sjögren’s syndrome, ankylosing spondylitis, osteoarthritis, juvenile idiopathic arthritis, osteoporosis, lupus, lumbago, gout and others. more rare ones such as antiphospholipid syndrome, vasculitis, familial Mediterranean fever or juvenile dermatomyositis. It is estimated that about 1 in 4 adults in Spain suffers from a rheumatic disease, which represents around 11 million people in our country, as confirmed by data from EPISER 2016 (Prevalence study of rheumatic diseases in the adult population). in Spain).
“These pathologies affect joints, bones and muscles, but also organs such as lung, heart, kidney, eyes, skin, etc. They are the most common chronic ailments in our country,” recalls Dr. Fernández, who insists on the importance of promoting awareness campaigns to “increase knowledge about rheumatic diseases and for the population to recognize the main symptoms and go to the healthcare doctor.” Primary”. Along these lines, various initiatives are being carried out by the Spanish Society of Rheumatology with the aim of also improving the referral of this type of pathologies to rheumatologists.
In this sense, Dr. Bustabad, a rheumatologist at the Canary Islands University Hospital, has stressed that “it is important for the population to know that it is not normal to feel morning stiffness, chronic pain, limitation of mobility, swelling, redness or heat in the joints. , since these symptoms may be due to a rheumatic disease.”
The ‘La Espera’ campaign also has the support of patient associations at the national level such as the National Association of Juvenile Dermatomyositis (ANADEJU), Association of Uveitis Patients (AUVEA), Spanish Association of Scleroderma (AEE), National Association of Patients of Sarcoidisis (ANES), Spanish Association with Osteoporosis and Osteoarthritis (AECOSAR), Spanish Association of Antiphospholipid Syndrome (SAF Spain), Spanish Sjögren’s Association (AES), Psoriasis Action, Spanish Association of Behçet’s Disease, STOP Familial Mediterranean Fever , Spanish Coordinator of Spondyloarthritis Associations (CEADE), National Arthritis Coordinator (CONARTRITIS), Spanish Lupus Federation (FELUPUS), Spanish Rheumatological League (LIRE), Osteoarthritis Foundation International (OAFI) and Fibromyalgia Foundation.
Source: Spanish Society of Rheumatology
