Open access rheumatology : research and reviews
The Burden and Temporal Trends of Rheumatoid Arthritis in High-Income Countries and Territories, 1990-2023: A Systematic Analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2023
By Mak TC, Tang CC, Choi JMC and 3 others.
Abstract
Background
Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic systemic autoimmune disease causing progressive joint damage, disability, and excess mortality. Evaluating long-term epidemiological trajectories across high-resource health systems is essential for optimizing rheumatology care. This study analyzes the burden and 33-year temporal trends of RA across high-income countries and territories using Global Burden of Disease (GBD) Study 2023 estimates.
Methods
We analyzed incidence, prevalence, mortality, and disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs) across 36 high-income countries and territories (5 GBD regions: Australasia, High-income Asia Pacific, High-income North America, Southern Latin America, and Western Europe) from 1990 to 2023. To distinguish clinical risk from population growth and aging, we prioritized age-standardized rates (ASRs per 100,000) alongside absolute metrics. We present all estimates with 95% uncertainty intervals (UIs).