Portal de Aguilas

www.portaldeaguilas.com

Ãguilas participates in a project to know the prevalence of rheumatic diseases in Spain (09/11/2016)

The following pathologies will be studied: rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus, inflammatory lumbago, osteoarthritis (of hands, cervical spine, hip and knee), osteoporosis, fibromyalgia, psoriatic arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, gout and SjÃ¶gren's syndrome

The results will be used by health funders to estimate the cost of including new drugs in the market

The Murcia municipality of Águilas participates in the EPISER2016 project, a study on the prevalence of rheumatic diseases in Spain, which has been launched by the Spanish Society of Rheumatology, since the previous one was done in 2000, and it is believed that this prevalence can Have been modified.

"In these years, there have been significant changes in the population in our country that could influence the prevalence of rheumatic diseases such as aging, increased foreign population, greater percentage of overweight and obesity or changes in smoking pattern; Which makes a new epidemiological study more than justified, "says Dr. Sagrario Bustabad, principal investigator of the project and head of the Rheumatology Service at the Hospital Universitario de Canarias.

According to Dr. Bustabad, "studies on disease prevalence are descriptive observational studies that, in addition to providing knowledge about rheumatic diseases affecting the general population, are essential for health funders, whether public administrations Or insurance companies, can estimate the costs of including new drugs in the market. "

Data from the EPISER 2000 study are considered representative of the Spanish population and are used by the Ministry of Health, Social Services and Equality to calculate the reimbursement prices of new medicines with indication in some of the rheumatic processes.

Specifically, this new edition of the study will include, in addition to the pathologies already discussed in the previous edition: rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus, inflammatory back pain, osteoporosis (of hands and knees), osteoporosis and fibromyalgia, Of which we do not know the prevalence in the Spanish population, such as psoriatic arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, gout, SjÃ¶gren's syndrome and cervical, lumbar and hip spine arthrosis.

The sample size will be almost 5,000 individuals (almost twice as much as in the previous edition) and the interviews will be conducted from the middle of November through a company specialized in health area and with a call center service that will contact Telephone with the individuals involved to carry out a questionnaire screening the diseases under study.

Subjects with positive screening are those who will be evaluated by rheumatologists who will confirm the diagnostic suspicion.

In addition, points out the specialist, within the secondary objectives "seeks to compare the results with those obtained in EPISER 2000, to know the frequency with which the adult population in Spain has consulted in the last year to a doctor for osteoarticular problems and to know The frequency of drug use for osteoarticular problems for at least one month in the last year in the same population group. "

"The idea is that, if we do not find any inconvenience, the first results are for the first quarter of 2018," according to Dr. Bustabad, who indicates that the renowned journalist Rosa MÂª Calaf will be the godmother of the project.

The municipalities that will participate in this investigation are: Torquemada, Baltanás, Paredes de Nava, Dueñas, Villada and Herrera de Pisuerga (Castile and Leon);

Quiroga, Carballedo, Folgoso do Courel, Chantada and Bóveda (Galicia);

Lekunberri, Aoiz, Mendigorria, SangÃ¼esa, Olite and Irurtzun (Navarra);

San Fernando and Martos (Andalusia);

Langreo (Asturias);

Barbastro (Aragón);

Inca (Balearic Islands);

GÃ¼ímar (Canary Islands);

Camargo (Cantabria);

Campo de Criptana (Castilla La Mancha);

El Masnou, BarberÃ del VallÃ¨s (Catalonia);

Mérida (Extremadura);

Calahorra (La Rioja);