title: Epidemiology of systemic sclerosis in a large US managed care population.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To estimate the incidence and prevalence of systemic sclerosis (SSc) in a large US managed care organization (MCO) database.
  
  
  METHODS
  Subjects with claims-based evidence of SSc (ICD-9-CM code 710.1x) were identified from a health plan database. Incidence and prevalence for the period 2003-2008 were calculated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The overall age- and sex-adjusted incidence rate (2003-2008) for SSc was 5.6 cases per 100,000 person-years. The annual prevalence of SSc ranged from 13.5 in 2003 to 18.4 (per 100,000) in 2008.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This analysis suggests a higher incidence and lower prevalence of SSc in this MCO than those previously reported for the United States.
authors.affiliation: University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, USA.
authors.forename: Daniel E
authors.initials: DE
authors.lastname: Furst
authors.forename: Ancilla W
authors.initials: AW
authors.lastname: Fernandes
authors.forename: Serban R
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Iorga
authors.forename: Warren
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Greth
authors.forename: Tim
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Bancroft
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008329:Managed Care Programs / Q000639:trends*; D008875:Middle Aged; D012595:Scleroderma, Systemic / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D055815:Young Adult