Arthritis Myths & Facts
Arthritis mainly affects the elderly.
- Arthritis is the most common chronic condition among those over the age of 15.
- Two-thirds of people with arthritis are under the age of 65.
- Approximately 355 million people worldwide have a form of arthritis.
- Several forms of arthritis are known to strike women during their childbearing years.
- Arthritis affects nearly 300,000 children.
Arthritis isn't serious - it's only minor aches and pain.
- Arthritis can start as minor aches and pains, but if left undiagnosed and untreated could become a major health problem
- Arthritis is the number one cause of disability, affecting one in six, equal to 15 percent of the population, or nearly 43 million people.
- By the year 2020, one in five Americans will have arthritis.
- Arthritis results in 39 million physician visits and more than half a million hospitalizations annually.
- Arthritis limits driving, cooking, working, walking for more than seven million Americans.
- Certain forms of arthritis decrease life expectancy from eight to fifteen years, compared to persons of similar age and sex.
- Between 43 and 85 percent of people with rheumatoid arthritis will be unable to work 8 to 11 years after the onset of disease.
- Arthritis costs the United States $65 billion a year, equal to a moderate recession or 1.1 percent of the gross national product.
- Arthritis affects the joints; some types also can affect muscles and connective tissues of the body including the skin and internal organs.
Nothing can be done to treat arthritis
- A variety of new medications have been introduced to the market within the past year to treat various types of arthritis, from rheumatoid to Lyme disease to osteoarthritis.
- An early and accurate diagnosis is critical to minimizing the affect of arthritis because the majority of joint damage occurs within the first two years.
- A recent study by the Arthritis Foundation showed that when people attended the Foundation's Self-Help Course, their pain level, as well as their visits to the doctor, decreased. In addition, their attitude and self-esteem improved.
