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Arthritis, the leading cause of disability among
Americans over 15 years of age, comprises more
than 100 different diseases that affect areas in or
around the joints.1 The most common type is
osteoarthritis, which is a degenerative joint
disease that causes pain and loss of movement due
to deterioration in the cartilage covering the ends
of bones in the joints. Other types of arthritis
include rheumatoid arthritis, lupus arthritis,
gout, and fibromyalgia.
In 2005, over 21 percent of adults in the United
States reported that they had ever been diagnosed
with arthritis. Arthritis was more common in
women than men (25.5 versus 17.4 percent), and
rates of arthritis increased dramatically with age
for both sexes. Fewer than 10 percent of women
in the 18–44 year age group had been diagnosed
with arthritis, compared to 52.7 percent among
women aged 65–74 years, and almost 60 percent
of women 75 years and older.
In 2005, the rate of arthritis among
women varied by race and ethnicity. It was most common among
non-Hispanic White women (282.1 per 1,000 women), followed
by non-Hispanic Black women (243.3 per 1,000). The lowest
rates of arthritis were among Asian and Hispanic women (124.4
and 144.2 per 1,000, respectively).
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VERTICAL bar CHART: Adults Aged 18 and Older with Arthritis,
by Age and Sex, 2005
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VERTICAL Bar CHART: Women Aged 18 and Older with Arthritis,
by Race/Ethnicity, 2005
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