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Prevalence of Rheumatoid Arthritis in Tucumán, Argentina
ALBERTO SPINDLER, VERÓNICA BELLOMIO, ALBERTO BERMAN, ELEONORA LUCERO, MARCELO BAIGORRIA, SILVIA PAZ, NORMA GARRONE, ALBERTO IVES TORRES, OLGA ROMANO, ANA CARRACCIO, OLGA LEAL, ANA BAZZANO, DORA VAZQUEZ, OSCAR PERA, GUSTAVO ARQUEZ, MARCOS VALDEZ, HECTOR LAZARO, SILVIA RENGEL, EMMA ACOSTA, and MIRTA SANTANA
ABSTRACT.
Methods. The study was conducted between January 1, 1998, and December 31, 1999, in Tucumán province in northwest Argentina. Outpatient and hospitalization medical records for all patients with RA aged ³ 16 years were reviewed. Diagnosis was by 1987 American College of Rheumatology (ACR) criteria for RA and the population data were based on the 1991 national census. Prevalence rates, with 95% CI, were calculated using the number of San Miguel de Tucumán residents who fulfilled the 1987 ACR criteria for RA as numerator, and the city population aged ³ 16 as denominator. Crude and age-specific prevalence rates were calculated as number of cases/1000 inhabitants. Results. We identified 695 cases of RA. Sex-specific and overall prevalence rates (per 1000) were 1.97 (95% CI 1.8-2) for all, 0.6 (95% CI 0.49-0.73) for men, 3.2 (95% CI 2.9-3.5) for women. Conclusion. Prevalence of RA is low in residents of Tucumán, Argentina, and comparable with rates observed in epidemiological surveys from Southern European countries. (J Rheumatol 2002;29:1166-70) Key Indexing Terms:
EPIDEMIOLOGY
From The Tucumán Rheumatology Society and the Rheumatology Postgraduate Department, School of Medicine, Universidad Nacional de Tucumán, Tucumán, Argentina. Supported by a grant from the Dr. Samuel Spindler Foundation. A. Spindler, MD, Professor of Rheumatology; V. Bellomio, MD, Clinical Instructor of Rheumatology; A. Berman, MD, Assistant Professor of Rheumatology; E. Lucero, MD, Assistant Professor of Rheumatology, Tucumán Rheumatology Society and School of Medicine, Universidad Nacional de Tucumán; M. Baigorria, MD, Former Fellow in Rheumatology, Department of Rheumatology, School of Medicine, Universidad Nacional de Tucumán; S. Paz, MD; N. Garrone, MD; A.I. Torres, MD; O. Romano, MD; A. Carraccio, MD; O. Leal, MD; A. Bazzano, MD; D. Vazquez, MD; O. Pera, MD; G. Arquez, MD; M. Valdez, MD; H. Lazaro, MD; S. Rengel, MD; E. Acosta, MD, Tucumán Rheumatology Society; M. Santana, PhD, School of Medicine, Universidad Nacional de Tucumán. Address reprint request to Prof. A. Spindler, Lavalle 506, 4000 Tucumán, Argentina. E-mail: albertospindler@hotmail.com Submitted June 27, 2001; revision December 6, 2001. |