Prevalence and incidence of rheumatoid arthritis in Italy

Abstract

Aim of the study was to estimate the prevalence and incidence of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) from an administrative cohort consisting of 2,268,514 males and 2,446,769 females, aged ≥ 18 years, from 32 Italian Health Districts. The diagnosis of RA was certified by a qualified specialist and confirmed by ≥3 prescriptions of "specific drugs" (corticosteroids, DMARDs or "biological" agents) during 2011. Patients on "specific drugs" qualified as "active RA"; those who never had more than 4 prescriptions in the past were classified as "unlikely RA," and those previously on chronic treatment but who discontinued therapy for >1 year were classified as "remission RA." The patients with a diagnosis of RA were 22,801 (0.48 %) with a prevalence of "active RA," "remission RA" and "confirmed RA" (Active + Remission RA) of 0.32, 0.09 and 0.41 % (95 % CI 0.38-0.44), respectively. The classification criteria tested in a fifth of the study population by direct analysis yielded >90 % accuracy and precision. The yearly incidence of "active RA" per 100,000 subjects was 48 (95 % CI 40-57) and 20 (95 % CI 10-30) for women and men, respectively. The peak for both prevalence and incidence was around the eighth decade of life. The female/male ratios for both prevalence and incidence were ca. 2.6 before the fifth decade of life, but approached unity in the ninth decade of life. The overall prevalence and incidence of RA in a large sample of the Italian population is only marginally lower than that reported from a similar administrative database of Sweden. With advancing age, the female/male ratio declines to about one.

FOXM1/LINC00152 feedback loop regulates proliferation and apoptosis in rheumatoid arthritis fibroblast-like synoviocytes via Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway

“…Rheumatoid arthritis (RA), a chronic systemic disease, is featured with inflammatory synovitis, which can lead to destruction on bone and cartilage and even cause disability [1,2]. The incidence of RA is higher in women and older people than that in man and younger people [3]. The pathogenesis of RA is induced by complicated factors, including alteration of gene expression, environmental change and other reasons [4].…”

Patients’ Knowledge on Rheumatoid Arthritis presenting with Arthralgia in a Tertiary Care Teaching Hospital, Pakistan

“…4,5 Globally the prevalence of rheumatoid arthritis ranging from 0.1 -1.0% and varies according to geographical location even within the same country. [6][7][8][9] The prevalence of rheumatoid arthritis reported in studies from south of Pakistan was 0.14%, whereas it was reported 0.55% in the northern part of the country. 10,11 According to European League Against Rheumatism (EULAR) recommendations, the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis must be based on a shared decision between rheumatologist.…”

The role of circulating miR-146a in patients with rheumatoid arthritis treated by Tripterygium wilfordii Hook F

“…[1,2] The pathogenesis of RA is still not very clear. Substantial data have demonstrated that RA is the result of interaction among genetics, abnormal immune responses, and environmental triggers.…”