The study has shown that the prognosis is not as gloomy as is still widely believed.

http://occmed.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/content/abstract/31/4/134

The availability of sedentary work was as important as the amount of sickness absence in determining prospects for continued employment, and there was a more than even chance of remaining at work for as long as 15 or more years after diagnosis. Only one-third were registered as disabled persons; nearly half attended hospital for regular review, and of these, the majority were still employed. The study has shown that the prognosis is not as gloomy as is still widely believed.