Arthritis as a world-wide problem

Summary

Arthritic diseases are a world-wide problem affecting every race, but there are large differences in the prevalence and manifestations even of the more common conditions in different populations and countries. The author reviews some of the more recent epidemiological studies on disorders such as osteoarthrosis, rheumatoid arthritis and gout, and discusses factors which appear to be involved in the prevalence of other rarer arthropathies. It is considered that a greater study of these differences might ultimately prove helpful in the understanding of the aetiology of arthritic disorders.

Key Words::

• Arthritis
• epidemiology