RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Prevalence of rheumatoid arthritis in the South-Transdanubian region of Hungary based on a representative survey of 10,000 inhabitants.
JF The Journal of Rheumatology
JO J Rheumatol
FD The Journal of Rheumatology
SP 1688
OP 1690
VO 32
IS 9
A1 Csaba G Kiss
A1 Csilla Lövei
A1 Gábor Sütö
A1 Cecília Varjú
A1 Zoltán Nagy
A1 Zsuzsanna Füzesi
A1 Tamás Illés
A1 László Czirják
YR 2005
UL http://www.jrheum.org/content/32/9/1688.abstract
AB OBJECTIVE: To assess the prevalence of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in a representative study of the South Transdanubian region of Hungary. METHODS: Ten thousand individuals aged between 14-65 years were interviewed. The stratified sample was representative for age, sex and urban/rural residence structure of the regional population of the South-West Hungarian region. As a second step, all individuals with possible RA were asked to undergo a clinical investigation to confirm the diagnosis of RA according to the American Rheumatism Association (ARA) 1987 criteria. Of 10,000 interviewed individuals, 632 reported having RA or symptoms including digital pain, stiffness, and/or swelling. Two hundred and twenty-four individuals were investigated clinically. Individuals fulfilling the 1987 ARA criteria were considered as having definite RA, and their clinical data were evaluated. RESULTS: RA was confirmed in 13 cases. The male/female ratio was 3/10. The prevalence of RA among individuals aged 14-65 years was 0.37% (95% confidence interval, CI: 0.26-0.51), 0.23% (95% CI: 0.15-0.35) in men and 0.48% (95% CI: 0.35-0.64) in women. CONCLUSION: The prevalence of RA in the South Transdanubian region of Hungary is similar to those of other recent studies from other regions around the world.