AS AND NR-AXSPA IN WOMEN VS MEN
Currently, more men are diagnosed with ankylosing spondylitis (AS), and more women are diagnosed with non-radiographic axial spondyloarthritis (nr-axSpA), but numbers may be closer than originally thought. Recent studies suggest important differences in how women and men experience axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA), which includes both AS and nr-axSpA.
Compared with men,
WOMEN WITH AS OR NR-AXSPA MAY HAVE:
- Longer delay in diagnosis
- Slower disease progression
- More pain in the neck and peripheral (arm and leg) joints
- More pain, stiffness, and inflammation at the same level
- Less damage to bones and joints visible on an X-ray
- Higher frequency of conditions beyond the joints, like enthesitis, psoriasis, and inflammatory bowel disease
- Poorer quality of life
