Arthritis: - Knows no age limit, impacting the lives of 300,000 children in the United States, including 6,400 children in Indiana - Has an annual economic impact of $128 billion nationally - Impacts nearly everyone – one in five adults and one in 250 children in the U.S. have reported doctor diagnosed arthritis - Is the second most frequently reported chronic condition in the United States. - Encompasses more than 100 diseases and conditions affecting joints, the surrounding tissues and other connective tissues - The three most common forms are osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis and juvenile rheumatoid - Affects women (24.4 percent) more often than men (18.1 percent) - Prevalence increases with age, among adults over age 65, the prevalence of arthritis is 50 percent - Causes work limitations in the U.S. for 40% of people with arthritis - Is a more frequent cause of activity limitation than heart disease, cancer or diabetes - Some 67 million Americans are projected to have arthritis by the year 2030. |