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Arthritis
Arthritis Takes Aim At Baby Boomers
As baby boomers age, cases of arthritis and
other rheumatic conditions will jump by an estimated 50 percent
during the next 25 years. The number of people affected by
arthritis
will rise to about 60 million Americans. According to the federal
Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and Prevention, arthritis
is the leading cause of disabilities in the United States.
With
the first baby boomers are pushing 50, it will affect a lot
more people in the future. The CDC notes that arthritis, which
affects 40 million Americans, is more common and disabling
than
heart disease, cancer or diabetes, but remains "under-appreciated
and under-studied," in part because it presents itself
as a "slow motion event."
Currently about 15.5% of Americans suffer from
some form of arthritis, including nearly half of the population
65 years and older. Arthritis is more common in women, in people
living in rural areas and in those with lower income and education
levels, although researchers do not know why. Rates of the disease
are similar for whites and blacks, but are lower among Hispanics
and Asians.
Arthritis is characterized by pain, stiffness
and sometimes swelling in and around the joints. The CDC recommends
that those who have such symptoms for more than two weeks should
see a doctor. The most common form is osteoarthritis, which
increases with age and involves the breakdown of cartilage and
bones in the fingers and weight-bearing joints.
Rheumatoid arthritis is an immune-related inflammation
or swelling of the joint lining that damages cartilage and bone,
affecting hands, wrists, feet, hips, knees, ankles, shoulders
and elbows. Other forms of arthritis include fibromyalgia, gout,
low back pain, bursitis, systemic lupus and juvenile rheumatoid
arthritis.
Although most people are able to carry on a
normal lifestyle with arthritis, the disease severely disables
nearly one in five arthritic patients — about 7 million
today — and could leave 12 million people severely disabled
in 2020.
Joint injuries, infections and genetics may
play a role in some forms of arthritis, but the causes are generally
not known. Weight control can help reduce the chance of getting
several types of arthritis.
While there is no cure, treatment usually involves
a number of medications, including nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory
drugs, called NSAIDS, including aspirin and ibuprofen as well
as many prescription products. These drugs may affect the stomach,
so medication to relieve these side effects is also important.
Drug manufacturers are racing to develop a new generation of
safer NSAIDS that will bypass the stomach and could be available
early in the next century.
The Arthritis Foundation and others recommend
that arthritis patients stay active, including regular range-of-motion,
strengthening and endurance exercises. Some patients gain limited
relief by applying heat or cold to the joint. Surgery is used
when other approaches have failed. Researchers have also found
that providing self-help courses and skills for patients to
manage their own illness can reduce the pain and suffering of
arthritis. But the disease still takes an enormous toll. Arthritis
is serious, and it has an enormous impact on those who have
it. It also has an enormous impact on those who don't have it.
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