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Burden of arthritis expected to increase among Australians
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A population-level study for Australia, projected an increased prevalence of osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis and health care costs related to these conditions.
Researchers developed an epidemiological model of the Australian population. Using data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) 2014 to 2015 National Health Survey, they collected data on the national prevalence of osteoarthritis (OA) and rheumatoid arthritis (RA). The ABS population projections for 2020, 2025 and 2030 were used to estimate future prevalence of the diseases. Costs for OA and RA in Australian dollars for the years 2020, 2025 and 2030 were calculated with government data on direct health care expenditures.
Results showed the number of people with OA in the country will increase from 2.2 million in 2015 to about 3.1 million in 2030. Investigators noted the number of people with RA will increase from 422,309 in 2015 to 579,915 in 2030.
OA health care costs in 2015 were estimated to be more than $2.1 billion and are expected to surpass $2.9 billion by 2030. Costs for health care related to RA in 2015 was estimated to be more than $550 million and by 2030 are expected to be more than $755 million. – by Monica Jaramillo
Disclosures: The researchers report no relevant financial disclosures.
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