Study shows that prevalence of Sjögren’s in Greek adults is 0.23% and 0.44% in women

This study estimated the prevalence of Sjögren’s syndrome in Greek urban, suburban and rural adult general populations. The study was conducted in two urban, two suburban and five rural communities throughout Greece. All adult residents (8,547 subjects) were included in the study as well as 2,100 randomly selected subjects from one suburban and one rural community. The study was performed by experienced rheumatologists who visited the target population at their homes either door-to-door or after appointments and was based on a standardized questionnaire, clinical evaluation and laboratory investigation, when necessary.

A total of 8,740 subjects participated in the study (response rate 82.1%). The overall age- and sex-adjusted prevalence of Sjögren’s syndrome in the total target adult general population was 0.23%. Sjögren’s syndrome was almost exclusively found among women, among whom the prevalence was 0.44%. Only one case was observed in men. There were no significant differences between urban, suburban and rural populations. The highest prevalence of Sjögren’s syndrome, 0.6%, was found in subjects over the age of 69. The prevalence of primary Sjögren’s syndrome was 0.15%, while that of secondary Sjögren’s syndrome among patients with rheumatoid arthritis was 10.5%.

Study conducted by: Panagiotis Trontzas, Alexandros Andrianakos, Petros Krachtis, Petros Dantis, Dimitrios Karamitsos, Leonidas Kondelis, Fotios Christoyiannis, Kyriaki Pantelidou, Elizabeth Vafidou, Constantinos Voudouris, George Kaziolas, Athanasios Georgountzos, Hellenic Foundation for Rheumatological Research, Athens, Greece.

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