Patients with ankylosing spondylitis do not generally have an impact on life expectancy if they receive systematic treatment to keep the disease under control and reduce complications. Ankylosing spondylitis mainly causes ankylosing deformities of the spinal joints and does not directly affect life expectancy. As long as patients can receive systematic and standardized anti-rheumatic treatment, they can better control the development of the disease and live and work normally as normal people. If patients fail to receive systematic treatment, not only will they develop ankylosing deformities of the spine and joints, but they may also develop cardiopulmonary pathology, which can affect cardiopulmonary function and have a greater or lesser impact on normal life expectancy. Therefore, for patients with ankylosing spondylitis, early treatment is the key to actively control the development of the disease and reduce the emergence of complications, as well as appropriate physical exercise.