CDC Vital Signs: Arthritis Limits Daily Activities of 24 million US Adults.
Everyone knows someone with arthritis. It is a leading cause of disability, and causes pain, aching, stiffness, and swelling of the joints, but is not a normal part of aging. In March 2017 CDC researchers analyzed data from the CDC’S National Health Interview Survey to update previous estimates of adults with arthritis and arthritis-related activity limitation.
Among the key findings:
- About 54 million U.S. adults (23 percent) reported that their doctor had diagnosed them with arthritis.
- About 24 million adults with arthritis had activity limitations because of their arthritis.
- About half of all adults with heart disease or diabetes had arthritis. Nearly one-third of adults who were obese also had arthritis. Arthritis makes it harder to manage these conditions.
- Adults with arthritis can decrease pain and improve function by about 40% by being physically active.
What can you do?
- Learn proven actions to deal with pain, fatigue, anxiety and depression.
- Be physically active (like walking, swimming, or biking) to help maintain and improve strength, flexibility, and endurance.
- Adopt healthy eating habits
- Attend educational programs to gain confidence and skills on managing arthritis. Learn more in our resource library.
- Use medications correctly under a healthcare provider’s care.
LOOKING TO SPREAD THE WORD?
The CDC has released a digital media kit on the Vital Signs website (Spanish) with fact sheets, images, podcasts and more! We have included some of the materials below:
Fact sheets from the CDC: English| Spanish
Scientific Report: MMWR Vital Signs: Prevalence of Doctor-Diagnosed Arthritis and Arthritis-Attributable Activity Limitation — United States, 2013–2015
About Vital Signs
Vital Signs is a monthly report that appears as part of the CDC’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. Vital Signs provides the latest data and information on key health threats: cancer, obesity, tobacco use, motor vehicle passenger safety, prescription drug overdose, HIV/AIDS, health care-associated infections, cardiovascular health and others.