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Arthritis Impact Expected To Soar CDC Report Finds
By Dr. Paul Anderson M.D. Sports and Pain Medicine Expert
The already staggering social and economic impact of arthritis in the United States is set to explode during the coming decades, says the Arthritis Foundation in response to a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) report published in the Oct. 8 issue of Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, which coincides with World Arthritis Day on Tuesday, Oct. 12.
"The report confirms arthritis is common, costly and disabling," says Arthritis Foundation President and CEO Dr. John H. Klippel.
"The number of adults with arthritis has increased by nearly one million per year and it is impacting the usual activities of an unprecedented 21 million adults. Arthritis also carries a heavy financial burden, costing our economy $128 billion annually. We must as a nation begin to take arthritis seriously and make it unacceptable.
With some 67 million Americans projected to have arthritis by 2030, now is the time to escalate efforts to prevent, treat and cure the most common cause of disability in the United States." Among the report's findings from 2007-2009: -- 50 million U.S. adults (or 22 percent of the population) have arthritis, up from 46 million in 2003-2005 -- Arthritis affects the daily activities of 21 million adults, up significantly from 19 million in 2003-2005. This includes: -- 9.4% of the total adult population -- 42.4% of adults with arthritis -- BMI (body mass index) influences prevalence of arthritis -- 29.6 percent of obese adults have arthritis (one in three) -- 19.8 percent of overweight adults have arthritis (one in five) -- 16.9 percent of normal/underweight adults have arthritis (one in six) "We know obesity leads to and worsens arthritis.
The current high rates of obesity in the United States, along with the aging of the population, may be contributing to this increase in arthritis prevalence and associated activity limitations," says Jennifer Hootman, Ph.D., an epidemiologist with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Arthritis Program. Knee arthritis in particular is a major problem today affecting 1/3 adults.
