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National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion
Division of Adult and Community Health
Health Care and Aging Studies Branch
Arthritis Program
Mailstop K-51
4770 Buford Highway NE
Atlanta, GA 30341-3724
Phone: 770.488.5464
Fax: 770.488.5964
Email Us
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Newest Estimates for Specific Forms of Arthritis
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for the National
Arthritis Data Workgroup is releasing a new study that reaffirms that
nearly 1 in 5 U.S. adults—46 million people—have arthritis, the
nation’s most common cause of disability. The prevalence of
osteoarthritis has increased to 27 million people, up from the previous
estimate of 21 million.
The study, published in the January issue of Arthritis & Rheumatism,
was a collaborative effort between several federal and private entities
as part of the National Arthritis Data Workgroup (NADW).* The study
found that arthritis continues to be a large and growing public health
problem. By the year 2030, an estimated 67 million people will be
affected by arthritis, according to the study.
The two-part study, titled “Estimates of the Prevalence of Arthritis
and Other Rheumatic Conditions in the United States,” used published
research to estimate the number of people affected by arthritis, which
comprises more than 100 diseases and conditions that affect the joints,
in 2005. This research included analyses from national surveys (e.g.,
the National Health Interview Survey) and from some smaller studies as
well.
Other key findings include the following:
- Rheumatoid arthritis, which can lead to chronic pain, loss of
joint function, and deformity, is decreasing, with 1.3 million adults
affected, down from 2.1 million in 1990—in part due to more
restrictive classification criteria but also because of a real drop
in prevalence.
- Gout, a form of arthritis most common among men, affected
approximately 3 million adults, up from 2.1 million in 1990.
“The prevalence of arthritis overall continues to grow in the United
States, which is not surprising given that many of the specific
conditions are age related and the general population is aging,” said
Charles G. Helmick, MD, a CDC epidemiologist and a lead author on the
study. “The increases in some of the more common types of arthritis
suggest that they will have a growing impact on the health care and
public health systems and more efforts should be made to promote
underused but effective interventions and programs that could reduce
that impact,” he said. “These include getting educated about managing
your arthritis through the Arthritis Foundation Self-Help Program and
the Chronic Disease Self-Management Program, and getting more physically
active through the Arthritis Foundation Exercise or Aquatics Programs.
More information on the Arthritis Foundation, a CDC partner, is
available at:
http://www.arthritis.org.*
Editor’s Note: Some prevalence estimates are based on a few old or
small studies of uncertain generalizability to the U.S. population. This
is the case for lupus, which affected an estimated 161,000 to 322,000
adults, according to the study. This is a conservative estimate, and
CDC-funded lupus registries in Georgia and Michigan are currently
underway to better define the impact of the condition.
NOTE: The NADW is a consortium of experts in epidemiology
organized to provide a single source of national data on the prevalence
and impact of rheumatic diseases. It is supported by the National
Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Disease, National
Institutes of Health; the National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention
and Health Promotion and the National Center for Health Statistics of
the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; the American College of
Rheumatology; and the Arthritis Foundation.
* Links to non-Federal
organizations are provided solely as a service to our users. Links do not
constitute an endorsement of any organization by CDC or the Federal
Government, and none should be inferred. The CDC is not responsible for
the content of the individual organization Web pages found at this link.
Page last modified: January 8, 2007
Content Source: Division of
Adult and Community Health,
National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion
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