TREND AND VALIDITY OF ANKYLOSING SPONDYLITIS PREVALENCE AND PATIENT MORTALITY RATES IN THE ADULT POPULATION OF THE TULA REGION VERSUS THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION

Abstract

Ankylosing spondylitis (AS) is a chronic systemic disease of the axial skeleton. Recently, there has been increased interest among practitioners and researchers in AS. Because of difficulties in conducting epidemiological surveys studying statistical data on its prevalence and patient mortality is of great importance. It permit introduction of necessary corrections into organization of medical care to patients on the basis of analysis of the situation in the region. Objective: to study the trend and validity of data on AS prevalence and patient mortality in the adult population of the Tula Region versus the Russian Federation. Subjects and methods. The investigators used the 2002–2010 statistical guidelines “Prevalence of diseases in adult population of Russia” by the Ministry of Health of Russia; the 2006–2010 federal statistical inquiry forms No. 14 in the Tula Region and the Russian Federation; the European hospital database; the 2000–2011 mortality databases in the Tula Region, which had been obtained by the automated mortality registration systems, which contained 373,997 records and included all margins of “Medical Death Certificates”. Results and discussion. In the Russian Federation, overall prevalence of AS per 100,000 adult population increased from 27.6 in 2002 to 34.4 in 2010 (the increment was 24.6%) while in the Tula Region its trend was unstable in this period. Incidence of AS here decreased by 31.8% from 2002 to 2010; in Russia its increment was 51.6%. From 2000 to 2011 in the Tula Region AS was registered as one of the causes of death in 29 cases. Conclusion. To plan measures aimed at improving the quality of medical care to AS patients, it is necessary to expand a comprehensive study of AS prevalence as well as outpatient and inpatient mortality from AS