09 September 2021


Two new papers utilising the British Society of Rheumatology Biologics Register for Ankylosing Spondylitis have been published in Rheumatology, providing new insight into fibromyalgia and the impact of comorbidities on treatment response.


The first paper, by Sella A Proven et al., explores factors associated with fibromyalgia development and recovery in patients with axial spondylitis. The results suggest that disease activity levels and widespread pain are associated with fibromyalgia development, while low levels of those variables and initiation on TNF inhibitors are associated with recovery.


The article The changing states of fibromyalgia in patients with axial spondyloarthritis: results from the British Society of Rheumatology Biologics Register for Ankylosing Spondylitis is available open access in the September issue.


The second, by Steven Zhao et al., explores the heretofore unclear association between comorbidities and response to TNF inhibitors for those with ankylosing spondylitis. The work demonstrates that comorbidities are associated with more severe disease and a reduced response to TNF inhibitors. Comorbidities were also associated with treatment discontinuation, with three or more comorbidities associated with an over twofold higher rate of discontinuation.


This longitudinal work complements a cross-sectional study published in our July issue by Steven Zhao et al., which examined the impact of comorbidities on patient-reported disease activity.


The article Comorbidity and response to TNF inhibitors in axial spondyloarthritis: longitudinal analysis of BSRBR-AS is available open access in our September issue.


Find out more about the Biologics Register for Ankylosing Spondylitis and the ongoing work by Zhao et al. investigating comorbidities in axial spondyloarthritis in The Rheumatology Podcast (episode: 26 March 2021).


Read the September issue