241 Nursing Assessment, Management and Treatment of Autoimmune Diseases
● More than 16% of under/normal weight adults report doctor-diagnosed arthritis. ● Almost 23% of overweight and 31% of obese US adults report doctor- diagnosed arthritis. ● In 2015, 15 million adults reported severe joint pain because of arthritis. ● Arthritis and other rheumatic conditions are a leading cause of work disability among US adults. ● One in 25 working-age adults aged 18 to 64 years face work limitations they attribute to arthritis. ● Arthritis limits the activities of 23.7 million US adults. ● Adults with arthritis were about 2.5 times more likely to have two or more falls and suffer a fall injury in the past 12 months compared with adults without arthritis. ● In 2013, the national costs of arthritis were $304 billion. Regarding RA statistics in the US, it is estimated that RA affects between 1.28 and 1.36 million Americans. Women are affected more often than men, and its peak onset is highest in people in their sixties (Rebar et al., 2019). Pathophysiology Pathogenesis The pathogenesis of RA is not com- pletely understood, but infections, genet- ics, and endocrine factors may influence its development (Rebar et al., 2019). An external trigger such as cigarette smok- ing, infection, or trauma may set off an autoimmune reaction, which leads to synovial hypertrophy and chronic joint inflammation. There is also potential for extra-articular manifestations to develop in individuals who are genetically suscep- tible (Smith, 2021a). Susceptible people may develop abnormal or altered IgG
lungs, heart, and blood vessels (Mayo Clinic, 2021b). The annual incidence of RA on a glob- al scale is about three cases per 10,000 population. The prevalence rate is about one percent. Prevalence increases with age, peaking between the ages of 35 and 50 years. RA affects all populations but is thought to be more prevalent in some groups (e.g., Native Americans) and less prevalent in others (e.g., dark-skinned persons from the Caribbean region; Smith, 2021b). In the US, various types of arthritis are quite prevalent. Osteoarthritis is the most common form of arthritis. Gout, fibromy - algia, and RA are other common rheu- matic conditions in the US (CDC, 2021b). The CDC (2021b) has compiled and pub- lished the following arthritis related sta- tistics: ● From 2013-2015, an estimated 58.5 million US adults (22.7%) annually had ever been told by a doctor that they had some form of arthritis. ● Prevalence by age: From 2013 to 2015 in the US: ○ Of people aged 18 to 44 years, 7.1% ever reported doctor- diagnosed arthritis. ○ Of people aged 45 to 64 years, 29.3% ever reported doctor- diagnosed arthritis. ○ Of people aged 65 years or older, 49.6% ever reported doctor- diagnosed arthritis. ● From 2013 to 2015 in the US, 26% of women and 19.1% of men ever reported doctor-diagnosed arthritis. ● Adults aged 18 years or older who are overweight or obese report doctor- diagnosed arthritis more often than adults with a lower body mass index (BMI).
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