The safety and efficacy, and recommendations for the use of biologic drugs in the UK military rheumatology population

Abstract

Inflammatory arthritis is a significant cause of morbidity in the military. In particular the sero-negative spondyloarthritides, which include ankylosing spondylitis, psoriatic arthritis, reactive arthritis, inflammatory bowel disease related arthritis and undifferentiated spondyloarthritis, are especially prevalent in the young male phenotype, which is common in the Armed Forces. It is estimated that there are more than 1500 patients in the Armed Forces with spondyloarthritis alone, based on the prevalence in the general population of approximately 1%. Inflammatory arthritides are eminently treatable, especially with the development and widespread use of biologic drugs such as anti-Tumour Necrosis Factor (TNF) therapy. The use of these drugs can deliver patients an exceptionally good outcome leading to symptom control and normal function in many cases. Initial concerns regarding safety and side effects of anti-TNF drugs have been allayed by the evidence provided from comprehensive national databases developed over the last 10 years. With early diagnosis and prompt treatment military patients can complete a full career including deployment with only minor limitations. This paper reviews the burden of inflammatory arthritis in the armed services, its management and outcome in this population, the evidence for the safety of anti-TNF treatments and the recommendations for employability and deployability for service personnel.