Rheumatoid Arthritis prevalence
Have you ever wondered at the Rheumatoid Arthritis prevalence in the world ? It’s an amazing thing to do and it was about time I write a small conversation with myself on the subject.
What is the Rheumatoid Arthritis prevalence ?
The Rheumatoid Arthritis prevalence rate is between 0,5 to 1% in a given population (Am J Manag Care. 2012;18:S295-S302). Otherwise put, it means that among 200 random people, there will be 1 to 2 persons living with Rheumatoid Arthritis.
The prevalence rate is the total number of cases of a disease existing in a population divided by the total population.
Let’s take this walk a little further
There are 7,5 billions people living on this planet, and yes, that’s right… At this point, I made the calculation twice, there must be an extra zero somewhere.
We are 37 to 75 million people with Rheumatoid Arthritis
in the world !
As a matter of fact, we outnumber the Nepalese, the Ghanaian and by far the Australians, who are only 25 million. Together, we would populate a whole country the size somewhere between the Venezuela and the UK.
Of course, it’s a terrible news. In any case, we may feel isolated but we certainly are not alone. We belong to a vast community. I meditate shortly on this huge number of people who know exactly what it feels like, I’m overwhelmed, try it yourself.
Our number compare to a big country with a population undergoing a terrible lifelong condition, among the most painful and exhausting known. A disease with no known cure, crippling and evolutive, as a result, many of us have to stop to work. In addition, we have to take dangerous treatments, some of them so expensive only a bunch can afford to pay. World health organizations, where the hell are you? Are you not seeing us ? What is wrong with you ?
“I let myself to wonder, if RAers were granted a country would I go live there ?”
Overview of Epidemiology, Pathophysiology, and Diagnosis of Rheumatoid Arthritis
Allan Gibofsky, MD, JD, FACP, FCLM
The American Journal of Managed Care, 2012;18:S295-S302
Share or Print this page |
