Fatemeh Shirani - Assistant Professor of Rheumatology, Department of Internal Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
Suzan Maleki - Resident of Internal medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
Zeinab Shafinejad - Resident of Internal Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran

Determination of epidemiological characteristics in rheumatologic diseases is important to improve the diagnosis and treatment course in patients. This study was performed to determine the epidemiological characteristics in ankylosing spondylitis patients. In this observational cross-sectional study, the epidemiological characteristics were assessed in ۲۱۹ consecutive patients with ankylosing spondylitis referred to the rheumatology clinic in a tertiary health care center during ۲۰۱۴ to ۲۰۱۸. The mean age was ۳۸.۵ years and ۷۶.۳% were male. Also, ۳۹.۳% had academic literacy. Smoking was seen in ۴۲% and ۴۳.۴% had constitutional symptoms. IBD and Uveitis were seen in ۷.۳% and ۱۵.۵%, respectively. Family history and HLA-B۲۷ were positive in ۲۶.۵% and ۶۳%, respectively. The mean age of onset was ۲۷.۴ ± ۹ years. The mean diagnosis age, delay time, and duration were ۳۱.۷, ۴.۳, and ۶.۹ years, respectively.

ankylosing spondylitis, Epidemiology, Iran, Diagnosis Age