RE: RESEARCH - Estimates of the prevalence of arthritis and other rheumatic conditions in the US: Part I

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[ ] RESEARCH - Estimates of the prevalence of arthritis

and other rheumatic conditions in the US: Part I

Arthritis Rheum. 2008 Jan;58(1):15-25.

Estimates of the prevalence of arthritis and other rheumatic

conditions in the United States. Part I.

Helmick CG, Felson DT, Lawrence RC, S, Hirsch R, Kwoh CK,

Liang MH, Kremers HM, Mayes MD, Merkel PA, Pillemer SR, Reveille JD,

Stone JH; National Arthritis Data Workgroup.

CDC, Atlanta, Georgia 30341-3717, USA.

OBJECTIVE: To provide a single source for the best available estimates

of the US prevalence of and number of individuals affected by

arthritis overall, rheumatoid arthritis, juvenile arthritis, the

spondylarthritides, systemic lupus erythematosus, systemic sclerosis,

and Sjögren's syndrome. A companion article (part II) addresses

additional conditions. METHODS: The National Arthritis Data Workgroup

reviewed published analyses from available national surveys, such as

the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey and the National

Health Interview Survey (NHIS). For analysis of overall arthritis, we

used the NHIS. Because data based on national population samples are

unavailable for most specific rheumatic conditions, we derived

estimates from published studies of smaller, defined populations. For

specific conditions, the best available prevalence estimates were

applied to the corresponding 2005 US population estimates from the

Census Bureau, to estimate the number affected with each condition.

RESULTS: More than 21% of US adults (46.4 million persons) were found

to have self-reported doctor-diagnosed arthritis. We estimated that

rheumatoid arthritis affects 1.3 million adults (down from the

estimate of 2.1 million for 1995), juvenile arthritis affects 294,000

children, spondylarthritides affect from 0.6 million to 2.4 million

adults, systemic lupus erythematosus affects from 161,000 to 322,000

adults, systemic sclerosis affects 49,000 adults, and primary

Sjögren's syndrome affects from 0.4 million to 3.1 million adults.

CONCLUSION: Arthritis and other rheumatic conditions continue to be a

large and growing public health problem. Estimates for many specific

rheumatic conditions rely on a few, small studies of uncertain

generalizability to the US population. This report provides the best

available prevalence estimates for the US, but for most specific

conditions, more studies generalizable to the US or addressing

understudied populations are needed.

PMID: 18163481

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18163481

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Not an MD

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