title: Prevalence of rheumatoid arthritis in the South-Transdanubian region of Hungary based on a representative survey of 10,000 inhabitants.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess the prevalence of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in a representative study of the South Transdanubian region of Hungary.
  
  
  METHODS
  Ten thousand individuals aged between 14-65 years were interviewed. The stratified sample was representative for age, sex and urban/rural residence structure of the regional population of the South-West Hungarian region. As a second step, all individuals with possible RA were asked to undergo a clinical investigation to confirm the diagnosis of RA according to the American Rheumatism Association (ARA) 1987 criteria. Of 10,000 interviewed individuals, 632 reported having RA or symptoms including digital pain, stiffness, and/or swelling. Two hundred and twenty-four individuals were investigated clinically. Individuals fulfilling the 1987 ARA criteria were considered as having definite RA, and their clinical data were evaluated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  RA was confirmed in 13 cases. The male/female ratio was 3/10. The prevalence of RA among individuals aged 14-65 years was 0.37% (95% confidence interval, CI: 0.26-0.51), 0.23% (95% CI: 0.15-0.35) in men and 0.48% (95% CI: 0.35-0.64) in women.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The prevalence of RA in the South Transdanubian region of Hungary is similar to those of other recent studies from other regions around the world.
authors.affiliation: Department of Immunology and Rheumatology, Medical School, Hungarian Brothers of St. John of God and University of Pécs, Hungary. csaba.kiss@aok.pte.hu
authors.forename: Csaba G
authors.initials: CG
authors.lastname: Kiss
authors.forename: Csilla
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Lövei
authors.forename: Gábor
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Sütö
authors.forename: Cecília
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Varjú
authors.forename: Zoltán
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Nagy
authors.forename: Zsuzsanna
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Füzesi
authors.forename: Tamás
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Illés
authors.forename: László
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Czirják
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D000368:Aged; D001172:Arthritis, Rheumatoid / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D015331:Cohort Studies; D016001:Confidence Intervals; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D018450:Disease Progression; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D006814:Hungary / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010147:Pain Measurement; D015995:Prevalence; D011336:Probability; D016059:Range of Motion, Articular / Q000502:physiology; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D017678:Sex Distribution