A recent study discovered an exponential rise in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) all across the globe.
Researchers found that the autoimmune disease has affected 17.9 million people in 2021, since 1990.
For elderly individuals more than the age of 55 with an increasing rate of RA, the age of onset has been trending downward since 2015, with the highest proportion of patients between the ages of 20 and 54.
What is Rheumatoid arthritis?
Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic condition that happens when an individual’s immune system attacks tissue lining their joints leading to pain, swelling and irritation, called inflammation, in the joints.
For the study, researchers assessed rheumatoid arthritis data from different locations between 1980 and 2021.
Results indicated a decline in the mortality rate for RA by more than 32% between 1980 and 2021; however, the number of patients surviving with the chronic disease nearly doubled between 1990 and 2021.
Researchers stressed the need for some preventive measures to prevent this chronic condition or treat the existing cases.
In addition, the results highlight “the need for dietary adjustments, accessible medical policies, and innovative treatments such as cell therapy,” according to researchers.
Researchers found increased case rates of rheumatoid arthritis in Western Europe and North America and lower rates in Africa. However, Japan was the only country that showed a decline in these cases.
