Rheumatoid Arthritis is on the Rise Among Women in the U.S.
26 October 2008
After four decades on the decline, rheumatoid arthritis is on the upswing among women in the United States. That's the finding presented by Mayo Clinic investigators at the annual meeting of the American College of Rheumatology/Association of Rheumatology Health Professionals in San Francisco.
Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disease that causes your immune system, which usually fights infection, to attack the lining of your joints, causing pain, swelling and inflammation in the joints. Rheumatoid arthritis usually affects the joints of the hands and feet are, but any joint may become affected. Rheumatoid arthritis can make your joints feel stiff and can leave you feeling generally worn-out. Over time, rheumatoid arthritis may permanently damage your joints and cause loss of function and mobility.
There is no known cure for rheumatoid arthritis at present, but if diagnosed and treated early, symptoms can be eased and the progression of the disease slowed down.
From 1955 to 1994, the incidence of rheumatoid arthritis had continually been on the decline. That apparently changed beginning in the mid-1990s. When Mayo researchers analyzed patient data from early 1995 to the start of 2005, they found that both the incidence and prevalence (percentage) of the condition were rising.
Compared to the previous decade when approximately 36 women out of every 100,000 developed rheumatoid arthritis each year, the new study showed a jump to 54 women in the more recent decade. The incidence for men remained at about 29 per 100,000. Overall, the percentage of the entire population with the condition rose from 0.85 percent to 0.95 percent.
Researchers say it's not clear why this is happening, but an environmental factor may have a role in the shifting incidence and prevalence among women.
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References:
1. S. Gabriel, C. Crowson, H. Maradit-Kremers, T. Therneau. Rheumatoid arthritis rising among women.Mayo Clinic and National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases. October 2008.
2. NHS Direct.
