Rheumatoid Arthritis Fact Sheet

·      About 1.5 million Americans have RA

·      From 1995-2007:

o   41 out of 100,000 people are diagnosed with RA each year

o   Rates have increased 2.5% each year among women

·      Women are two and a half more times likely to get RA than men

·      Lifetime risk of RA are an estimated 4% among woman and 3% among men  

·      People with RA will experience more losses in function in human activity such as work, leisure, and social relations

·      People with RA have had a substantial negative impact on their work lives. In comparison, people with RA vs people without RA (respectively) are more likely to:

o   Change occupation (3.3% vs 0%)

o   Reduce work hours (12.2% vs 1.7%)

o   Lose their job (3.3% vs 0%)

o   Retire early (26.3% vs 5.2%)

o   Be unable to find a job (15.3% vs 5.2%)

·      Quality of life with RA:

o   40% more likely to report fair or poor general health

o   30% more likely to need help with personal care

o   Twice as likely to have a health-related limitation

·      Having RA can cost between $61,000-$122,000 over the course of a lifetime

·      In 2012, there were 9,000 hospitalizations with RA as principal diagnosis with hospital charges of $374 million (mean charge of $41,000 per person)

o   Women and people over the age of 45 years old accounted for the majority of these stays  

Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention