Employment in refractory myasthenia gravis: A Myasthenia Gravis Foundation of America Registry analysis

Labor-market participation is potentially very difficult for patients with refractory myasthenia gravis (MG). In this study, employment status and work absences are compared between refractory and nonrefractory MG.

Adults (aged 18-64 years, all diagnosed ≥2 years previously) were included if enrolled in the Myasthenia Gravis Foundation of America Patient Registry during July 2013 to February 2018.

Seventy-six patients (9.2%) had refractory and 749 (90.8%) had nonrefractory disease; demographic data did not differ between groups. Relative to the nonrefractory group, the refractory group patients were more than twice as likely to work fewer hours per week (odds ratio [95% confidence interval]: currently employed, 2.777 [1.640-4.704]; employed over previous 6 months, 2.643 [1.595-4.380]), but those employed were not more likely to be absent from work.

Because absence from the labor market adversely affects quality of life and personal finances, these findings reaffirm the considerable disease burden associated with refractory MG.