Hanyang Med Rev.  2005 May;25(2):4-12.

Epidemiology and Diagnosis of Rheumatoid Arthritis

• Lee JH
• Kim SI

Abstract

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is the most common chronic inflammatory joint disease. The prevalence of RA is between 0.5~1% and annual incidence of RA is approximately 0.2~0.4/1,000 persons. The prevalence and incidence of RA appear to have fallen in the last 50 years. Risk factors for the development of RA include genetic factors, hormonal factors, reproductive factors, environmental factors and life-style factors. The currently accepted classification scheme for RA is the 1987 American Rheumatism Association (ARA) criteria. This criteria is both sensitive and specific, but it has limitation in classifying early disease.

Keyword

epidemiology; diagnosis; rheumatoid arthritis

MeSH Terms

Arthritis, Rheumatoid*
Classification
Diagnosis*
Epidemiology*
Humans
Incidence
Joint Diseases
Prevalence
Rheumatic Diseases
Risk Factors