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Stories for Reprint
Sjogren's Syndrome in the United States
By Erin Willis, MARRTC Staff
European studies have shown that Sjogren's syndrome causes fatigue and can reduce the quality of life for many. Researchers from University Hospital Birmingham, United Kingdom conducted the first large study in the United States to understand the effects of the disease and whether they were similar in North America and Europe.
"We were hoping to confirm our results from the United Kingdom studies and generally this was the case," says Simon Bowman, Ph.D., principal investigator of this study. "The United States has a large population and it is important in any condition to show that results are comparable (or different!) in different populations."
Sjogren's syndrome is an autoimmune disorder that causes dryness of the eyes and mouth. This disease can in some patients also affect many other parts of the body, causing, for example, skin rashes, swollen glands, pain and loss of sensation in the toes/fingers or neuropathy.
According to the Sjogren's Syndrome Foundation, more than four million Americans are affected by the chronic disease. Nine out of 10 are women and older than 40 years.
"Sjogren's generally affects women more than men and typically in the middle years - 40 to 50 years and older," says Bowman, also a rheumatologist. "It can occur in association with another rheumatic disease or as a primary disorder."
Researchers mailed surveys to members of the Sjogren's Syndrome Foundation in order to learn about their fatigue levels, pain, quality of life, and depression. The average age of participants was 62 years and over 90 percent were women.
When compared to people without Sjogren's syndrome, it was found that those with the disease had great fatigue, pain and depression. These results are comparable to people in Europe with Sjogren's syndrome.
"This extends our knowledge of the effects of Sjogren's syndrome to another major geographical area," says Bowman.
For more information about Sjogren's syndrome, visit www.sjogrens.org.
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