The Prevalence of Rheumatoid Arthritis

Abstract

In 1964 the prevalence of rheumatoid arthritis in the population of Sudbury was 3.8% for women and 1.3% for men by ARA criteria. By New York criteria the prevalence rate in the same population was 0.5% for women and 0.1% for men. Follow-up examinations performed through 3 to 5 years after the initial population study indicate that the New York criteria identify persons whose disease remains clinically meaningful and, as such, indicate the frequency of rheumatoid arthritis to be about 2 to 3 cases per 1000. On the other hand, the large number of Sudbury residents who reported a previous episode of pain in 3 or more joints but had no clinical signs at the time of this study raises the interesting possibility that rheumatoid arthritis exists more frequently as a benign, nondeforming condition.