Young arthritis sufferers choose treatments that €˜make life normal’

Young arthritis sufferers make treatment decisions based on how the treatment will affect their appearance, their social life and their physical and mental well-being, according to research. The research, which will be presented at the British Society for Rheumatology’s conference Rheumatology 2014, suggests that young people are concerned about whether treatments could threaten their day-to-day life. Inflammatory arthritis, a group of conditions including juvenile idiopathic arthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis and psoriatic arthritis, can need aggressive treatment including the use of biologic therapies. For young people, making these crucial treatment decisions comes at a difficult time in their personal and