The Rheumatologist
COVID-19 NewsACR Convergence
  • Connect with us:
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • LinkedIn
  • YouTube
  • Feed
  • Home
  • Conditions
    • Rheumatoid Arthritis
    • SLE (Lupus)
    • Crystal Arthritis
      • Gout Resource Center
    • Spondyloarthritis
    • Osteoarthritis
    • Soft Tissue Pain
    • Scleroderma
    • Vasculitis
    • Systemic Inflammatory Syndromes
    • Guidelines
  • Resource Centers
    • Axial Spondyloarthritis Resource Center
    • Gout Resource Center
    • Psoriatic Arthritis Resource Center
    • Rheumatoid Arthritis Resource Center
    • Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Resource Center
  • Drug Updates
    • Biologics & Biosimilars
    • DMARDs & Immunosuppressives
    • Topical Drugs
    • Analgesics
    • Safety
    • Pharma Co. News
  • Professional Topics
    • Ethics
    • Legal
    • Legislation & Advocacy
    • Career Development
      • Certification
      • Education & Training
    • Awards
    • Profiles
    • President’s Perspective
    • Rheuminations
    • Interprofessional Perspective
  • Practice Management
    • Billing/Coding
    • Quality Assurance/Improvement
    • Workforce
    • Facility
    • Patient Perspective
    • Electronic Health Records
    • Apps
    • Information Technology
    • From the College
    • Multimedia
      • Audio
      • Video
  • Resources
    • Issue Archives
    • ACR Convergence
      • Gout Resource Center
      • Axial Spondyloarthritis Resource Center
      • Psoriatic Arthritis
      • Abstracts
      • Meeting Reports
      • ACR Convergence Home
    • American College of Rheumatology
    • ACR ExamRheum
    • Research Reviews
    • ACR Journals
      • Arthritis & Rheumatology
      • Arthritis Care & Research
      • ACR Open Rheumatology
    • Rheumatology Image Library
    • Treatment Guidelines
    • Rheumatology Research Foundation
    • Events
  • About Us
    • Mission/Vision
    • Meet the Authors
    • Meet the Editors
    • Contribute to The Rheumatologist
    • Subscription
    • Contact
  • Advertise
  • Search
You are here: Home / Articles / Epidemiology of Rheumatoid Arthritis May Be Changing

Epidemiology of Rheumatoid Arthritis May Be Changing

March 3, 2020 • By Will Boggs, MD

  • Tweet
  • Email
Print-Friendly Version / Save PDF

NEW YORK (Reuters Health)’Over the last three decades, there has been a significant decline in the incidence of rheumatoid factor (RF) positive rheumatoid arthritis (RA), while the overall incidence of RA has remained about the same, researchers report.

You Might Also Like
  • Bronchial Tissue Immune Activation Seen in Early Rheumatoid Arthritis
  • Rheumatoid Arthritis Risk Lower Among Smokers Who Quit
  • Textile Workers at Higher Risk for Rheumatoid Arthritis

“These trends may suggest changing serological profile of RA over time which may have implications for RA diagnosis and management,” Elena Myasoedova, MD, PhD, of Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn., tells Reuters Health by email.

ad goes here:advert-1
ADVERTISEMENT
SCROLL TO CONTINUE

For their study, published in the Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases, Dr. Myasoedova and colleagues used data from the Rochester Epidemiology Project medical-record-linkage system. Overall, the age-adjusted and sex-adjusted annual incidence of RA per 100,000 in 2005–2014 was 41, with an incidence of 53 in women and 29 in men, estimates that were similar to the previous decades.1

The proportion of RF-positive RA declined significantly from 69% in the earlier decades to 51% in the 2005-2014 group (P<0.001), with a corresponding increase in the proportion of RF-negative RA.

ad goes here:advert-2
ADVERTISEMENT
SCROLL TO CONTINUE

The prevalence of erosive disease remained stable among patients with RF-positive RA while the proportion of erosive disease in RF-negative RA rose in 2005–2014 compared with the prior decades.

“Seronegative RA can be challenging to diagnose, which may delay treatment initiation and negatively impact the outcomes,” Dr. Myasoedova says. “The increasing incidence of RF-negative RA suggests the need for increased awareness and timely recognition of this subset of RA by physicians.”

“Future studies should investigate the underlying reasons for these trends in RA incidence in order to extend understanding of the risk factors for seropositive and particularly for seronegative RA,” she says.

ad goes here:advert-3
ADVERTISEMENT
SCROLL TO CONTINUE

Reference

  1. Myasoedova E, Davis J, Matteson EL, et al. Is the epidemiology of rheumatoid arthritis changing? Results from a population-based incidence study, 1985–2014. Ann Rheum Dis. 2020 Feb 17. pii: annrheumdis-2019-216694. [Epub ahead of print]

Filed Under: Conditions, Rheumatoid Arthritis Tagged With: Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA), Rheumatoid Factor, seronegative RA, seropositive RA

You Might Also Like:
  • Bronchial Tissue Immune Activation Seen in Early Rheumatoid Arthritis
  • Rheumatoid Arthritis Risk Lower Among Smokers Who Quit
  • Textile Workers at Higher Risk for Rheumatoid Arthritis
  • Depression & Anxiety Linked to Poor Rheumatoid Arthritis Outcomes

Meeting Abstracts

Browse and search abstracts from the ACR Convergence and ACR/ARP Annual Meetings going back to 2012.

Visit the Abstracts site »

American College of Rheumatology

Visit the official website for the American College of Rheumatology.

Visit the ACR »

Rheumatology Research Foundation

The Foundation is the largest private funding source for rheumatology research and training in the U.S.

Learn more »

The Rheumatologist newsmagazine reports on issues and trends in the management and treatment of rheumatic diseases. The Rheumatologist reaches 11,500 rheumatologists, internists, orthopedic surgeons, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, nurses, and other healthcare professionals who practice, research, or teach in the field of rheumatology.

About Us / Contact Us / Advertise / Privacy Policy / Terms of Use / Cookie Preferences

  • Connect with us:
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • LinkedIn
  • YouTube
  • Feed

Copyright © 2006–2023 American College of Rheumatology. All rights reserved.

ISSN 1931-3268 (print)
ISSN 1931-3209 (online)