Arthritis is among the top three chronic diseases in Canada, affecting people of all ages. Most people living with the disease face significant health challenges, including debilitating joint damage and destruction resulting in permanent disability. In some, arthritis can be fatal.
- 4.5 million Canadians live with some form of arthritis
- 600,000 people aged 15 and over in BC live with arthritis and related conditions
- There are 9,375 people for every physician with rheumatology training in BC
Providing health care professionals with access to the right information, tools, and medication strategies for effective arthritis care means better health outcomes and less cost to our medical system.
Only 10% of patients with inflammatory arthritis, being treated by their family physician, are receiving the recommended "first line" medications to prevent further progression of damage
- Unlike cancer care, there are no standard care guidelines for arthritis in BC. This can mean significant delays for appropriate treatment and higher costs to our medical system and to people's quality of life over the long term.
- Early, aggressive, and sustained use of inexpensive disease-arresting medications can stop inflammation and prevent joint damage
- When joint damage progresses, invasive and expensive joint replacement surgeries and costly hospitalizations often become necessary, contributing to lengthy surgical waiting lists and hospital overcrowding
By promoting healthy behaviours and ensuring access to appropriate treatment, we can substantially reduce the high cost of arthritis to people, our health care system, and our economy.
- 3 out of 5 people living with arthritis are younger than 65.
- Arthritis is the second highest cost chronic disease in Canada (after heart disease) sucking an estimated at $2.1 billion every year from BC's health care system.
- Arthritis is the leading cause of disability for people over the age of 15. It disables two to three times more workers than all other chronic conditions.
- People aged 35-64 incurred 70% of disability costs due to arthritis costing BC's economy (and families) $6.9 billion in lost productivity, that's $11,500 per person.