Arthritis-Related Statistics
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Lifetime risk of symptomatic osteoarthritis
Note: There are different data sources for some of the arthritis-related statistics therefore; case definitions and terminology will also vary. Read more.
Nearly 1 in 2 people may develop symptomatic knee OA by age 85 years
Two in three people who are obese may develop symptomatic knee OA in their lifetime.
1 in 4 people may develop painful hip arthritis in their lifetime.
Prevalence of Arthritis
Note: There are different data sources for some of the arthritis-related statistics therefore; case definitions and terminology will also vary. Read more.
An estimated 50 million adults in the United States reported being
told by a doctor that they have some form of arthritis, rheumatoid arthritis,
gout, lupus, or fibromyalgia.
One in five (22%) adults in the United States report having doctor diagnosed
arthritis.
In 2007–2009, 50% of adults 65 years or older reported an arthritis diagnosis.
By 2030, an estimated 67 million Americans ages 18 years or older are
projected to have doctor-diagnosed arthritis.
An estimated 294,000 children under age 18 have some form of arthritis or
rheumatic condition; this represents approximately 1 in every 250 children in the U.S.
Prevalence of Specific Types of Arthritis
Note: There are different data sources for some of the arthritis related statistics therefore; case definitions and terminology will also vary. Read more.
The most common form of arthritis is osteoarthritis. Other common rheumatic conditions include gout, fibromyalgia and rheumatoid arthritis.
An estimated 27 million adults had osteoarthritis in 2005.
An estimated 1.5 million adults had rheumatoid arthritis in 2007.
An estimated 3.0 million adults had gout in 2005, and 6.1 million adults have
ever had gout.
An estimated 5.0 million adults had fibromyalgia in 2005.
Prevalence of Arthritis by Age/Race/Gender
Note: There are different data sources for some of the arthritis related statistics therefore; case definitions and terminology will also vary. Read more.
Of persons ages 18–44, 7.6% report doctor-diagnosed
arthritis. Of persons ages 45–64, 29.8% report
doctor-diagnosed arthritis. Of persons ages 65 or older, 50.0% report doctor-diagnosed arthritis.
25.9% of women and 18.3% men report doctor-diagnosed
arthritis.
An estimated 294,000 children under age 18 have some form of arthritis or
rheumatic condition; this represents approximately 1 in every 250 children in the U.S.
2.9 million Hispanic adults report doctor-diagnosed arthritis.
4.6 million Non-Hispanic Blacks report doctor diagnosed arthritis.
667,000 Asian/Pacific Islanders and 280,000 American Indians/Alaska Natives report doctor-diagnosed arthritis.
Overweight/Obesity and Arthritis (adults ages ≥18 years)
Note: There are different data sources for some of the arthritis related statistics; therefore, case definitions and terminology will also vary. Read more.
People who are overweight or obese report doctor-diagnosed arthritis more often than people with a lower body mass index (BMI).
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16.4% of under/normal weight adults report doctor-diagnosed arthritis.
MMWR 2010;59(39);1261-1265. [Data Source: 2007–2009 NHIS] -
21.4% of overweight and 31.1% of obese Americans report doctor-diagnosed arthritis.
MMWR 2010;59(39);1261-1265. [Data Source: 2007–2009 NHIS] -
66% of adults with doctor-diagnosed arthritis are overweight or obese (compared with 53% of adults without doctor-diagnosed arthritis).
Am J Prev Med 2006;30(5):385–393. [Data Source: 2002 NHIS]
Weight loss of as little as 11 pounds reduces the risk of developing knee osteoarthritis among women by 50%.
Arthritis Rheum 1998;41(8):1343–1355. [Data source: Framingham Osteoarthritis Study]
Physical Activity and Arthritis
Note: There are different data sources for some of the arthritis related statistics; therefore, case definitions and terminology will also vary. Read more.
Almost 44% of adults with doctor-diagnosed arthritis report no leisure time
physical activity compared with 36% of adults without arthritis.
Among older adults with knee osteoarthritis, engaging in moderate physical activity
at least 3 times per week can reduce the risk of arthritis-related disability by
47%.
Disability/Limitations and Arthritis
Note: There are different data sources for some of the arthritis related statistics; therefore, case definitions and terminology will also vary. Read more.
Most Common Cause of Disability
Arthritis and other rheumatic conditions are the most common cause of disability among U.S. adults and have been for the past 15 years.
Activity Limitation
Among all civilian, non-institutionalized U.S. adults 9.4% (21 million) report both doctor-diagnosed and arthritis attributable activity limitations.
42% of adults with doctor-diagnosed arthritis report arthritis-attributable activity limitations.
Among adults with doctor-diagnosed arthritis, many report significant limitations in vital activities such as:
- walking 1/4 mile—6 million
- stooping/bending/kneeling—8 million
- climbing stairs—5 million
- social activities such as church and family gatherings—2 million
Work Limitation
Approximately 1 in 3 people with arthritis (31%) in between the ages of 18 and 64 report arthritis-attributable work limitation.
Among all civilian, non-institutionalized U.S. adults ages 18-64, 5% (8.2 million) report both doctor diagnosed arthritis and arthritis-attributable work limitations.
State-specific prevalence estimates of arthritis-attributable work limitation show a high impact of arthritis on working-age (18-64 years) adults in all U.S. states, ranging from a low of 3.4% to a high of 15% of adults in this age group.
Health Related Quality of Life (HRQOL) and Arthritis
Note: There are different data sources for some of the arthritis related statistics; therefore, case definitions and terminology will also vary. Read more.
People with doctor-diagnosed arthritis have significantly worse HRQOL than those without arthritis. Adults with arthritis report two to four times as many unhealthy days in the past month than those without arthritis.
Arthritis Healthcare Utilization
Note: There are different data sources for some of the arthritis related statistics; therefore, case definitions and terminology will also vary. Read more.
Hospitalizations
In 2004, there were an estimated 744,000 hospitalizations with a principal
diagnosis of arthritis (3% of all hospitalizations). Overall, 5 million hospitalizations had a principal or secondary diagnosis of arthritis.
Ambulatory Care
There were 78 million ambulatory care visits with a primary diagnosis of arthritis or other rheumatic conditions, or nearly 5% of all ambulatory care visits that year. Overall, there were 66 million ambulatory care visits with a primary or secondary diagnosis of arthritis or other rheumatic conditions.
Arthritis-Related Mortality
Note: There are different data sources for some of the arthritis related statistics; therefore, case definitions and terminology will also vary. Read more.
From 1979-1998, the annual number of arthritis and other rheumatic
conditions (AORC) deaths rose from 5,537 to 9,367.
Three categories of AORC account for almost 80% of deaths: diffuse connective
tissue diseases (34%), other specified rheumatic conditions (23%), and
rheumatoid arthritis (22%).
In 1979, the crude death rate from AORC was 2.46 per 100,000 population. In
1998, it was 3.48 per 100,000 population; rates age-standardized to the year
2000 population were 2.75 and 3.51, respectively.
Arthritis Costs
Note: There are different data sources for some of the arthritis related statistics; therefore,; case definitions and terminology will also vary. Read more.
In 2003, the total cost attributed to arthritis and other rheumatic conditions in the
United States was 128 billion dollars, up from 86.2 billion dollars in 1997.
Medical expenditures (direct costs) for arthritis and other rheumatic conditions in
2003
were 80.8 billion dollars, up from 51.1 billion in 1997.
Earnings losses (indirect costs) for arthritis and other rheumatic
conditions in 2003 were 47 billion dollars, up from 35.1 billion in 1997.
Mental/Emotional Health and Arthritis
Note: There are different data sources for some of the arthritis related statistics; therefore,; case definitions and terminology will also vary. Read more.
Arthritis is strongly associated with major depression (attributable risk of
18.1%), probably through its role in creating functional limitation.
6.6% of adults with arthritis report severe psychological distress.
Int. J Public Health, 2009;S4:S75-83 [Data Source: 2007 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System]
Total Joint Replacements in Arthritis
Note: There are different data sources for some of the arthritis related statistics; therefore,; case definitions and terminology will also vary. Read more.
In 2004, there were 454,652 total knee replacements performed, primarily for
arthritis.
In 2004, there were 232,857 total hip replacements, 41,934 shoulder, and 12,055 other joint replacements, primarily for arthritis.
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