Arthritis Facts

May was National Arthritis Awareness Month, so I made my status on Facebook each day a fact about arthritis in honor of my mom. I promised to compile a complete list with sources in a note, but I thought I would post them here, so that anyone who stumbles across my blog will also be informed.

The following facts were taken from questions on "Arthritis Quiz - Myth or Fact?" found here: http://arthritis.about.com/library/quiz/blarthritismythfactquiz.htm

* “Arthritis or chronic joint pain affects 1 in 3 adults.”

* “According to the American College of Rheumatology, virtually everyone over the age of 75 is affected by arthritis in at least one joint.”

* “According to the Arthritis Foundations, less than half of rheumatoid arthritis patients under 65 years old who are working at the onset of the disease are still working 10 years later.”

* “Arthritis is not a modern disease. Arthritis has been found in ancient Egyptian mummies and Neanderthal man.”

* “Regular, gentle exercise can reduce arthritis pain and discomfort.”

* “Inactivity may cause arthritis patients to be out of shape, weaker, less flexible, and have more pain. It is important to remain as active as possible.”

*“Arthritis is treatable. There are many treatments and medications which help control arthritis symptoms and reduce joint deformity.” There is no cure for arthritis.

These facts were taken from the Middle TN Arthritis Walk page found here: http://www.kintera.org/faf/home/default.asp?ievent=424480

* “Juvenile arthritis is one of the most common childhood diseases in the United States.”

* “Arthritis is the most common cause of disability in the United States.”

* “Arthritis affects more than half of adults with diabetes and heart disease.”

* “There are more than 100 forms of arthritis and related diseases.”

* “Half of all adults will develop symptomatic osteoarthritis of the knee at some point in their lives.”

* “Arthritis results in 9367 deaths [and] 992,100 hospitalizations annually.”

* “39 million physician visits and more than 500,000 hospitalizations are attributed to arthritis.”

* “Arthritis and rheumatic conditions cost the U.S. economy $128 billion annually.”

* “Two thirds of the people that have doctor-diagnosed arthritis are under the age of 65.”

* “Walking 30 minutes a day can reduce your risk for certain kinds of arthritis.”

* “For every 1 [pound] you lose it is 4 [pounds] less pressure on each knee.”

* “By 2030, an estimated 67 million Americans aged 18 years or older are projected to have doctor-diagnosed arthritis.”

* “[66 million] adults and nearly 300,000 children suffer from arthritis.” (I put this one last because I updated it with information taken from the next source. Please note that we are 1 million away from the projected 2030 number 19 years early.)

The next source was "101 Interesting Facts about Arthritis" found here: http://www.arthritismd.com/arthritis-facts.html

* “Many types of arthritis are systemic, i.e., they are not limited to the joints. In such diseases, practically any organ of the body may be affected, including the heart, lungs, kidneys, and skin.”

* “Arthritis is second only to heart disease as a cause of work disability.”

* “Almost half of those afflicted with arthritis have one of the two most common types of arthritis, osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis.”

* “Injured joints are more likely to develop osteoarthritis than joints that have not been injured.”

* “Rheumatoid arthritis, the most common chronic inflammatory arthritis, accounts for 22% of all deaths due to arthritis.”

* “Juvenile rheumatoid arthritis has two peaks of onset: between 1 and 3 years and between 8 and 12 years.”

* “Not all arthritis is persistent and lasting. Many are limited and of brief duration.”

The final facts were taken from "Arthritis Facts - Fast Facts About Arthritis" found here: http://arthritis.about.com/od/arthritisthefacts/a/arthritisfacts.htm

* “Arthritis literally means joint inflammation. ‘Arth’ refers to the joints, and ‘itis’ refers to inflammation.”

* “The most common form of arthritis is osteoarthritis, sometimes referred to as wear-and-tear arthritis or degenerative joint disease.”

* “Osteoarthritis affects more than 20 million people in the United States.”

* “Rheumatoid arthritis is...an autoimmune disease [that] affects 1.3 million adults in the United States.”

It's not MLA, but it's credit, so I hope it appeases any format police out there :D