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Study highlights age-related trends in prevalence of arthritis from 1999 to 2014
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Nearly 25% of U.S. adults between 1999 and 2014 reported having arthritis, according to a recently published study in the American Journal of Public Health. Investigators found the prevalence of osteoarthritis doubled with time and the prevalence of rheumatoid arthritis decreased during the study period.
“Given the high prevalence of arthritis and the increase in the trends of arthritis-attributable functional limitations in the United States, policymakers should expect increased health care utilization rates for arthritis treatment, including OA treatment, in upcoming decades,” Juyoung Park, PhD, MSW, associate professor at Florida Atlantic University, told, Healio.com/Orthopedics. “Health care providers could prioritize treatment for managing arthritis, including not only pharmacological but also nonpharmacological interventions to improve health outcomes, especially for groups with the highest prevalence of arthritis, which includes older adults.”
She added, “In particular, those with lower income and taking multiple medications due to comorbidities need to receive benefits, such as cost-effective and long-term nonpharmacological treatments since it is difficult to manage with medication alone due to potential adverse drug events and increased health care costs associated with such adverse events.”
Park and colleagues assessed data from the 1999 to 2014 National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys of 43,706 community-dwelling adults who were 20 years old or older.
Results showed a 24.7% age-adjusted prevalence of arthritis. Investigators noted the prevalence of OA increased from 6.6% to 14.3%. However, the prevalence of RA decreased from 5.9% to 3.8%.
There was a significant increase in the prevalence of OA in patients of both genders; in non-Hispanic whites, non-Hispanic blacks and Hispanics; and people with high socioeconomic status. The decrease in the prevalence of RA was seen more in men, non-Hispanic blacks, and individuals with low income or obesity. – by Monica Jaramillo
Disclosure: Park reports no relevant financial disclosures.
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