Estimating the prevalence among Caucasian women of primary Sjögren's syndrome in two general practices in Birmingham, UK

Abstract

Objective: To establish the prevalence among women of primary Sjögren's syndrome (PSS) in Birmingham, UK.

Methods: Eight hundred and forty‐six female Caucasians from two general practitioner lists were invited to complete a questionnaire that included a screening question on dry eyes and mouth. Individuals who responded positively were evaluated further.

Results: Overall, 65% of individuals who were sent a questionnaire responded. Two had possible PSS, but were negative for anti‐Ro/La antibodies. Our estimates of the prevalence of PSS ranged from < 0.1% up to 0.4%, depending on the assumptions used.

Conclusion: Our data support previous studies suggesting a prevalence of PSS in the community of 0.1–0.6% rather than those suggesting a higher figure.