MedTrace Logo

The REFLECT Study- Flares in axSpA

NCT07688174 · Status: ACTIVE_NOT_RECRUITING · Type: OBSERVATIONAL · Enrollment: 40

Last updated 2026-07-07

No results posted yet for this study

Summary

Axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA) is a long-term inflammatory condition that affects the spine and sacroiliac joints. People living with axSpA often experience periods when their symptoms suddenly worsen, known as disease "flares." These flares can be painful, unpredictable, and significantly affect daily life, work and psychological wellbeing. Their unpredictable nature can leave people feeling helpless and anxious about when symptoms will return.

Research has shown that severe or frequent flares are linked to worse long-term outcomes in axSpA. However, it is difficult for researchers and clinicians to clearly define what a flare is, or to predict when one will happen. There is an unmet, urgent need to improve our understanding and recognition of flares, to enable earlier and more effective intervention, and improve long-term outcomes.

This study will explore people's experiences of flares, through a real-time digital flare and symptom diary. Data will be captured digitally from people living with axSpA over 12 months, including symptoms, diet, and lifestyle, self-management strategies and impact of flare on life, work, psychological wellbeing and relationships. Participants will attend clinic at two time points only (once when in flare, once when not in flare), to collect blood (serum) samples for investigation of inflammatory markers.

Findings will enable us to define and "map" different flare experiences of people living with axSpA and identify windows of opportunity for intervention and effective management. The results will inform the development of a novel, patient-initiated digital pathway for flare identification and management, which will be discussed and refined in a series of workshops with patients and healthcare professionals. This project will take place in two UK NHS hospitals (specialist rheumatology care settings): The Royal National Hospital for Rheumatic Diseases, Bath and King's College Hospital, London. We anticipate future work to pilot test the pathway and inform potential wider NHS implementation

Conditions

  • Axial Spondyloarthritis (AxSpA)
  • Axial Spondyloarthritis, Non-Radiographic
  • Axial Spondyloarthritis, Radiographic
  • Axial Spondylarthritis (r-axSpA)

Sponsors & Collaborators

  • Royal National Hospital for Rheumatic Diseases

    collaborator UNKNOWN

  • King's College Hospital NHS Trust

    collaborator OTHER

  • Royal United Hospitals Bath NHS Foundation Trust

    lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

  • Raj Sengupta, Professor · Royal National Hospital for Rheumatic Diseases (RNHRD) at the Royal United Hospitals Bath NHS Foundation Trust (RUH)

Eligibility

Min Age
18 Years
Sex
ALL
Healthy Volunteers
No

Timeline & Regulatory

Start
2026-06-01
Primary Completion
2026-06-01
Completion
2026-08-31

Countries

  • United Kingdom

Study Locations

More Related Trials

Read the full study record

This page highlights key information. For complete eligibility criteria, study locations, investigator contacts, and the full protocol, visit the original record on ClinicalTrials.gov.

View NCT07688174 on ClinicalTrials.gov