Two smiling female friends chatting on a sofa

Sjögren’s disease is a serious, progressive, systemic autoimmune disease, meaning it can affect the entire body rather than just one area.1-4 It affects glands that release secretions, such as tears and saliva, causing dryness, and also affect multiple organs and systems, causing inflammation and tissue damage, impacting the entire body.3,5-7

The global incidence and prevalence rates of Sjögren’s are often underestimated owing to several factors including underdiagnosis and misdiagnosis due to nonspecific symptoms.2,3,8-10

Nonetheless, Sjögren’s is considered the second most prevalent rheumatic disease, following rheumatoid arthritis.1 In some geographies it affects approximately 0.25 percent of the population with an estimated 50 percent undiagnosed.3,9

About the condition

Symptoms and their impact on everyday life

Beyond the more easily recognizable symptoms, such as excessive dry eye and mouth, around 30 to 40 percent of people with Sjögren’s experience additional symptoms.2 These can affect many parts of the body, including:2,4,11-15

  • Joints, causing chronic pain
  • Nerves, causing numbness or memory issues
  • Lungs, with scarring in about 1 in 5 patients
  • Kidneys, with inflammation in about 1 in 3
  • Increased risk of developing lymphoma – a type of cancer
  • Severe fatigue

As Sjögren’s can affect so many organs, it is now seen as a full-body, or systemic, disease – not just one that causes dryness.4 It can lead to considerable discomfort and limitations, and can result in a decline in physical, mental, and social wellbeing.4,8,14

Ana Vieira, Vice President of Sjögren Europe and living with Sjögren’s, shares her personal journey with the condition, highlighting not just the visible symptoms, but the often-overlooked impact it has on everyday life.

Living with Sjögren’s VIDEO


Diagnosis

Because Sjögren’s can show up in many different ways and affect multiple parts of the body, it’s often missed or mistaken for something else.8,10 This means people may wait a long time before getting the right diagnosis and treatment, which can make their symptoms worse and delay proper care.3,8,10,16 The mean age at diagnosis ranges from 52 to 62 years.17

Sjögren’s is nine times more common in women than men.2 While researchers are not certain why more women than men develop Sjögren’s, they are investigating genetic, hormonal, and environmental factors.18

Managing Sjögren’s

The therapeutic management of Sjögren’s has not changed in recent decades and continues to be based on managing symptoms rather than getting to the underlying systemic causes.4 This often only provides temporary and partial symptomatic relief, highlighting the need for effective disease-modifying treatment.4,19

When asked about their treatment goals, almost 50% of people with Sjögren’s highlight preventing worsening of the disease.20

Novartis is expanding its leadership in the field of immunology by prioritizing complex diseases, like Sjögren’s, that have a huge impact on daily life and overall health. That’s why we're focused on addressing the need for patient-centered care to address the full physical and emotional burden of Sjögren’s.

The impact of Sjögren’s disease

9x

More common in women than men²

58%

Of people living with Sjögren’s report a high impact on emotional wellbeing²¹

94%

Of people living with Sjögren’s are not fully satisfied with the available range of therapies²⁰

Understanding the Sjögren’s pathway

Sjögren’s is a B cell–driven disease in which overactive B cells infiltrate, target and attack parts of the body and produce autoantibodies that cause inflammation and damage.5-7

The abnormal B cells and the autoantibodies cause inflammation and dysfunction of certain glands, leading to the characteristic symptoms of dry eyes and dry mouth. The inflammation can also happen in other organs and tissues in the body, resulting in wider systemic complications.6,15

As B cells are thought to play a key role in Sjögren’s, a therapy that can effectively target B cells can potentially reduce the disease burden.7 
 

Support and resources

For more information about Sjögren’s and managing symptoms, find your local member of the International Sjögren’s Network here.

References

  1. The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. Selected Immune Disorders and Disability. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. 2022.
  2. Mariette X, Criswell LA. Primary Sjögren's Syndrome. N Engl J Med 2018; 378: 931-939.
  3. Juan Camilo Sarmiento-Monroy RDM, Adriana Rojas-Villarraga, and Juan-Manuel Anaya, et al. Sjögren’s syndrome. In: Anaya JM, Shoenfeld Y, Rojas-Villarraga A, eds. Autoimmunity: From Bench to Bedside. Bogota: El Rosario University Press; 2013.
  4. Vitali C, Minniti A, Pignataro F, et al. Management of Sjögren's Syndrome: Present Issues and Future Perspectives. Front Med (Lausanne) 2021; 8: 676885.
  5. Lee AY, Qi Z, Jackson KJ, et al. Self-reactive B cells are increased in all major stages of peripheral development in Sjögren's disease. Immunology & Cell Biology 2025; 103: 401-410.
  6. Both T, Dalm VA, van Hagen PM, et al. Reviewing primary Sjögren's syndrome: beyond the dryness - From pathophysiology to diagnosis and treatment. Int J Med Sci 2017; 14: 191-200.
  7. Cornec D, Devauchelle-Pensec V, Tobón GJ, et al. B cells in Sjögren's syndrome: from pathophysiology to diagnosis and treatment. J Autoimmun 2012; 39: 161-167.
  8. Parisis D, Chivasso C, Perret J, et al. Current State of Knowledge on Primary Sjögren's Syndrome, an Autoimmune Exocrinopathy. J Clin Med 2020; 9.
  9. Narváez J, Sánchez-Fernández S, Seoane-Mato D, et al. Prevalence of Sjögren's syndrome in the general adult population in Spain: estimating the proportion of undiagnosed cases. Sci Rep 2020; 10: 10627.
  10. Thurtle E, Grosjean A, Steenackers M, et al. Epidemiology of Sjögren's: A Systematic Literature Review. Rheumatol Ther 2024; 11: 1-17.
  11. Luppi F, Sebastiani M, Silva M, et al. Interstitial lung disease in Sjögren's syndrome: a clinical review. Clin Exp Rheumatol 2020; 38 Suppl 126: 291-300.
  12. Chatterjee R, Balakrishnan A, Kharbanda R, et al. Renal involvement in Sjőgren's syndrome: predictors and impact on patient outcomes. Rheumatol Int 2023; 43: 1297-1306.
  13. Longhino S, Chatzis LG, Dal Pozzolo R, et al. Sjögren's syndrome: one year in review 2023. Clin Exp Rheumatol 2023; 41: 2343-2356.
  14. McCoy SS, Bartels CM, Saldanha IJ, et al. National Sjögren's Foundation Survey: Burden of Oral and Systemic Involvement on Quality of Life. J Rheumatol 2021; 48: 1029-1036.
  15. Carr AJ, Ng WF, Figueiredo F, et al. Sjögren's syndrome – an update for dental practitioners. British Dental Journal 2012; 213: 353-357.
  16. Meinecke A, Kreis K, Olson P, et al. Impact of time to diagnosis in patients with primary Sjögren's syndrome: a cross-sectional study. Clin Exp Rheumatol 2024; 42: 2444-2452.
  17. Negrini S, Emmi G, Greco M, et al. Sjögren's syndrome: a systemic autoimmune disease. Clin Exp Med 2022; 22: 9-25.
  18. Brandt JE, Priori R, Valesini G, et al. Sex differences in Sjögren's syndrome: a comprehensive review of immune mechanisms. Biol Sex Differ 2015; 6: 19.
  19. Ramos-Casals M, Brito-Zerón P, Bombardieri S, et al. EULAR recommendations for the management of Sjögren's syndrome with topical and systemic therapies. Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases 2020; 79: 3-18.
  20. Marvel J, Kenney G, Church J, et al. Real-World Insights into the Treatment Satisfaction and Unmet Needs of Sjögren's Disease: A Patient-Centred Analysis. Presented as an abstract at EULAR European Congress of Rheumatology 2025; June 11-14, 2025; Barcelona, Spain.
  21. Marvel J, Kenney G, Church J, et al. Real-World Insights into the Burden of Sjögren's Disease: A Patient-Centred Analysis. Presented as an abstract at EULAR European Congress of Rheumatology 2025; June 11-14, 2025; Barcelona, Spain.