Norwich researchers assess the cost of rheumatoid arthritis
RESEARCHERS in Norwich are playing a major role in raising the awareness of the crippling condition of rheumatoid arthritis, which affects around 600,000 people in the UK.
Rheumatoid arthritis is an inflammatory disease in which the body's immune system attacks the joints leading to pain, stiffness and intense fatigue.
Nicola Cooper, a PhD student at the School of Health Policy and Practice at the University of East Anglia, is investigating the economic impact of rheumatoid arthritis over a five-year period after diagnosis, on the patient, including their family and friends, and the NHS.
Her work is being highlighted by leading medical research charity the Arthritis Research Campaign – which is funding the £53,000 project over three years - during its Research Week (June 5-12), aimed at raising awareness of the condition.
The charity is spearheading a major research initiative into RA by pumping around £6m into research centres throughout the UK. The outlook for patients in improving dramatically as better and more effective drug treatments are constantly developed.
Nicola Cooper is basing her research on interviews with patients in the Norfolk area whose details are on the Norfolk Arthritis Register (NOAR), which collects data on drug use, absence from work due to illness, and other relevant information.
The NOAR was set up by the Arthritis Research Campaign in 1989 and has produced important information on the influence of age, sex, geography, diet, lifestyle and genetic factors on the development of arthritis.
Ms Cooper hopes to establish the costs of patient care and drugs over five years, and an overall estimate of the average cost of the disease per year and cumulatively to the NHS, the individual, and society as a whole. She expects to publish her results next year.
Norwich is a leading centre for arthritis research and patient care. The ARC currently pumps £1.5m into various research projects at the University of East Anglia. Last year the rheumatology department at the Norfolk and Norwich Hospital won the Searle Rheumatology Team of the Year Award for its innovative clinical practice and overall performance.
