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Rheumatoid arthritis

The epidemiology of RA

Nature Reviews Rheumatology (2025)Cite this article

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Analysis of regional variations in the epidemiology of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) over the past 40 years indicates that the age-standardized incidence of RA has increased — and is expected to continue rising — while the mortality and morbidity of the disease are decreasing. As a result, the number of years lived with disability and the overall disease burden attributable to RA have increased and are projected to rise further.

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References

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Acknowledgements

This work was supported by European Research Council grant PerPrev-CID (https://doi.org/10.3030/101156542).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Rheumatology, Department of Medicine, Geneva University Hospital (HUG), Geneva, Switzerland

    Axel Finckh

  2. Geneva Center for Inflammation Research (GCIR), Geneva University, Geneva, Switzerland

    Axel Finckh

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  1. Axel Finckh
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Correspondence to Axel Finckh.

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The author declares no competing interests.

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Finckh, A. The epidemiology of RA. Nat Rev Rheumatol (2025). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41584-025-01297-8

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