Arthritis Awareness

The number one cause of disability in the United States is arthritis, which is a disease that affects more than 50 million Americans. That means 1 in every 5 adults, 300,000 children and countless families are affected by arthritis.

Statistics from The Arthritis Foundation:

Nearly 53 million adults have doctor-diagnosed arthritis; that number is expected to grow to 67 million by 2030.

Almost 300,000 babies, kids, and teens have arthritis or a rheumatic condition.

Working-age men and women (ages 18 to 64) with arthritis are less likely to be employed than those of the same age without arthritis.

1/3 of working-age people with arthritis have limitations in their ability to work, the type of work they can do or whether they can work part time or full time.

People with osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis –two major kinds of arthritis – miss a combined 172 million workdays every year.

Arthritis and related conditions account for more than $156 billion annually in lost wages and medical expenses.

There are nearly 1 million hospitalizations each year due to arthritis.

57% of adults with heart disease have arthritis.

52% of adults with diabetes have arthritis.

44% of adults with high blood pressure have arthritis.

36% of adults who are obese have arthritis.

1/3 of adults with arthritis age 45 and older have either anxiety or depression.

People with arthritis live in a “catch 22” life, one of the things that will make them feel better, exercise, is one of the things that hurts to perform. Because of this, people who have arthritis and other chronic health condition have trouble getting enough physical activity to improve their health. Regular physical activity is an important strategy for relieving pain and maintaining or improving function for people with arthritis. Studies have shown that 38 percent of adults with arthritis report no leisure-time aerobic activity (compared with about 27 percent of those without arthritis). Twenty million people with arthritis are limited in their ability to do daily activities, such as standing, bending, walking, and climbing stairs. People commonly think of arthritis as an old people’s problem. However, arthritis is not a disease of old age, infants, as young as 1 year old, can get a potentially serious disease called systemic juvenile idiopathic arthritis. Two-thirds of people with arthritis are under age 65, including an estimated 300,000 children. Nevertheless, the risk of arthritis does increase with age; almost half of adults 65 years old or older have arthritis. Doctor-diagnosed arthritis is more common in women (26 percent) than in men (18 percent). In some types, such as rheumatoid arthritis, women far outnumber men. Arthritis has a greater impact on minorities. Blacks, Hispanics, Asians, and other minorities’ populations in the U.S. have lower rates of arthritis compared to white population. However, they experience greater severity of pain and more work and daily activity limitations than whites.

When it comes to prevention, there are certain groups, such as women, and those who are predisposed to arthritis through having a family history of arthritis (genetic profile) and have little options in the way of prevention. However, there are some forms of arthritis, which can be avoided through proper lifestyle choices. Osteoarthritis can be avoided by maintain a healthy weight, Rheumatoid arthritis do not smoke to avoid Rheumatoid arthritis, and  eating a healthful diet, low in sugar, alcohol and purines will help keep away gout. The activities you engage in when you are younger will also have a large impact on your body and joints later in life. It is important to take care of your bones and try to avoid breaking any of them, however, if you do break a bone it is important to make sure you properly take care of the break and follow through on any physical therapy necessary for a full recovery.

A SENIOR CONNECTION

We specialize in helping families with Assisted Living, Residential Home Placement and In-Home Care Services.

Let us help find the right care for you; follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Google+ and LinkedIn.