May is National Arthritis Awareness Month
Overview:
Arthritis describes more than 100 different diseases
and conditions that affect joints, tissues around the
joint and other connective tissue. According to the
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC),
approximately 46 million Americans, nearly 1 in 5
adults in the U.S., have been diagnosed with some
form of arthritis. The three most common types of
the disease are osteoarthritis (OA), rheumatoid
arthritis (RA) and fibromyalgia. OA and RA often
affect joints in the hand, wrist, spine, hip, knee and
foot. Other well-known forms of arthritis include
gout, childhood arthritis, lupus (or SLE),
bursitis/tendonitis and Lyme disease. Arthritis is one
of the most prevalent chronic health problems and
the nation’s leading cause of disability among
Americans over age 15. Arthritis is the leading
disability among workers in NJ, affecting
approximately 5% of working –age adults. In 2003,
the disease represented a large financial burden
resulting from hospitalizations, physician visits and
prescription drug costs that amounted to $128
billion nationally, and more than $3.5 billion in NJ.
Today, almost half of people with arthritis are under
age 65, and nearly 70% are women. As the
population ages, it is believed that 40% of American
adults will suffer from some form of arthritic disease
by the year 2030.
• In 2007, approximately 27% of NJ adults (1.8 million
residents) were estimated to have been diagnosed
with some form of arthritis. By 2030, statewide
arthritis prevalence is predicted to rise to 39%.
• A 2001-2004 CDC study estimates that 8,600 NJ
children age 18 years and younger suffer from
Juvenile Arthritis.
• Arthritis prevalence is 32% among women and 21%
among men in NJ. (Figure 1)
• Age-adjusted prevalence estimates for arthritis in NJ
are fairly similar among whites (26.4%), blacks
(23.7%), and Hispanics/Latinos (23.3%). Arthritis
prevalence among Asians (6.9%) is much lower as
c