title: Incidence and Prevalence of Rheumatoid Arthritis in a Health Management Organization in Argentina: A 15-year Study.
abstract: To estimate incidence and prevalence rates of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in the city of Buenos Aires (CABA), Argentina, using data from a university hospital-based health management organization.
  
  
  
  Global, age-specific, and sex-specific incidence and prevalence rates were calculated for members of the Hospital Italiano Medical Care Program (HIMCP), age ≥ 18 years. Incidence study followed members with continuous affiliation ≥ 1 year from January 2000 to January 2015 until he/she voluntarily left the HIMCP, RA was diagnosed, death, or study finalization. Cases from the Rheumatology Section database, electronic medical records, laboratory database, and pharmacy database were filtered with the 2010 American College of Rheumatology/European League Against Rheumatism criteria. Prevalence was calculated on January 1, 2015, and standardized for CABA. Capture-recapture (C-RC) analysis estimated true population sizes.
  
  
  
  In the study period, incidence rates (cases per 100,000 person-yrs) were 18.5 (95% CI 16.7-20.4) overall, 25.2 (95% CI 22.4-28.0) for women, and 8.8 (95% CI 6.8-10.8) for men. Prevalence rates (percentage of RA cases in the sample population) were 0.329 (95% CI 0.298-0.359) overall, 0.464 (95% CI 0.417-0.510) for women, and 0.123 (95% CI 0.093-0.152) for men. Standardized CABA prevalence rate was 0.300 (95% CI 0.292-0.307). C-RC adjusted rates were almost the same as unadjusted rates.
  
  
  
  This study's incidence and prevalence rates are in the lower range of the rates found around the world. Our female to male prevalence ratio was 4:1. Our peak incidence age was in the sixth and seventh decades for both sexes.
authors.affiliation: From the School of Medicine, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, New York, USA; Rheumatology Unit, Internal Medicine Services, and Department of Clinical Investigation, Hospital Italiano de Buenos Aires; Instituto Universitario Hospital Italiano de Buenos Aires; Fundación P.M. Catoggio, Buenos Aires, Argentina.W.T. Di, BA, School of Medicine, Stony Brook University; F. Vergara, MD, Rheumatology Fellow, Rheumatology Unit, Internal Medicine Services, Hospital Italiano de Buenos Aires; E. Bertiller, MD, Rheumatology Fellow, Rheumatology Unit, Internal Medicine Services, Hospital Italiano de Buenos Aires; M.A. Gallardo, MD, Rheumatology Fellow, Rheumatology Unit, Internal Medicine Services, Hospital Italiano de Buenos Aires; I. Gandino, MD, Rheumatology Fellow, Rheumatology Unit, Internal Medicine Services, Hospital Italiano de Buenos Aires; M. Scolnik, MD, Rheumatologist, Rheumatology Unit, Internal Medicine Services, Hospital Italiano de Buenos Aires; M.J. Martinez, MD, Rheumatology Fellow, Rheumatology Unit, Internal Medicine Services, Hospital Italiano de Buenos Aires; M.G. Schpilberg, MD, Coordinator, Department of Clinical Investigation, Hospital Italiano de Buenos Aires; J. Rosa, MD, Rheumatologist, Rheumatology Unit, Internal Medicine Services, Hospital Italiano de Buenos Aires and Instituto Universitario Hospital Italiano de Buenos Aires, and Fundación P.M. Catoggio; E.R. Soriano, MD, MS, Head of the Rheumatology Unit, Internal Medicine Services, Hospital Italiano de Buenos Aires and Instituto Universitario Hospital Italiano de Buenos Aires, and Fundación P.M. Catoggio.
authors.forename: Wai Tan
authors.initials: WT
authors.lastname: Di
authors.affiliation: From the School of Medicine, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, New York, USA; Rheumatology Unit, Internal Medicine Services, and Department of Clinical Investigation, Hospital Italiano de Buenos Aires; Instituto Universitario Hospital Italiano de Buenos Aires; Fundación P.M. Catoggio, Buenos Aires, Argentina.W.T. Di, BA, School of Medicine, Stony Brook University; F. Vergara, MD, Rheumatology Fellow, Rheumatology Unit, Internal Medicine Services, Hospital Italiano de Buenos Aires; E. Bertiller, MD, Rheumatology Fellow, Rheumatology Unit, Internal Medicine Services, Hospital Italiano de Buenos Aires; M.A. Gallardo, MD, Rheumatology Fellow, Rheumatology Unit, Internal Medicine Services, Hospital Italiano de Buenos Aires; I. Gandino, MD, Rheumatology Fellow, Rheumatology Unit, Internal Medicine Services, Hospital Italiano de Buenos Aires; M. Scolnik, MD, Rheumatologist, Rheumatology Unit, Internal Medicine Services, Hospital Italiano de Buenos Aires; M.J. Martinez, MD, Rheumatology Fellow, Rheumatology Unit, Internal Medicine Services, Hospital Italiano de Buenos Aires; M.G. Schpilberg, MD, Coordinator, Department of Clinical Investigation, Hospital Italiano de Buenos Aires; J. Rosa, MD, Rheumatologist, Rheumatology Unit, Internal Medicine Services, Hospital Italiano de Buenos Aires and Instituto Universitario Hospital Italiano de Buenos Aires, and Fundación P.M. Catoggio; E.R. Soriano, MD, MS, Head of the Rheumatology Unit, Internal Medicine Services, Hospital Italiano de Buenos Aires and Instituto Universitario Hospital Italiano de Buenos Aires, and Fundación P.M. Catoggio.
authors.forename: Facundo
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Vergara
authors.affiliation: From the School of Medicine, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, New York, USA; Rheumatology Unit, Internal Medicine Services, and Department of Clinical Investigation, Hospital Italiano de Buenos Aires; Instituto Universitario Hospital Italiano de Buenos Aires; Fundación P.M. Catoggio, Buenos Aires, Argentina.W.T. Di, BA, School of Medicine, Stony Brook University; F. Vergara, MD, Rheumatology Fellow, Rheumatology Unit, Internal Medicine Services, Hospital Italiano de Buenos Aires; E. Bertiller, MD, Rheumatology Fellow, Rheumatology Unit, Internal Medicine Services, Hospital Italiano de Buenos Aires; M.A. Gallardo, MD, Rheumatology Fellow, Rheumatology Unit, Internal Medicine Services, Hospital Italiano de Buenos Aires; I. Gandino, MD, Rheumatology Fellow, Rheumatology Unit, Internal Medicine Services, Hospital Italiano de Buenos Aires; M. Scolnik, MD, Rheumatologist, Rheumatology Unit, Internal Medicine Services, Hospital Italiano de Buenos Aires; M.J. Martinez, MD, Rheumatology Fellow, Rheumatology Unit, Internal Medicine Services, Hospital Italiano de Buenos Aires; M.G. Schpilberg, MD, Coordinator, Department of Clinical Investigation, Hospital Italiano de Buenos Aires; J. Rosa, MD, Rheumatologist, Rheumatology Unit, Internal Medicine Services, Hospital Italiano de Buenos Aires and Instituto Universitario Hospital Italiano de Buenos Aires, and Fundación P.M. Catoggio; E.R. Soriano, MD, MS, Head of the Rheumatology Unit, Internal Medicine Services, Hospital Italiano de Buenos Aires and Instituto Universitario Hospital Italiano de Buenos Aires, and Fundación P.M. Catoggio.
authors.forename: Emmanuel
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Bertiller
authors.affiliation: From the School of Medicine, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, New York, USA; Rheumatology Unit, Internal Medicine Services, and Department of Clinical Investigation, Hospital Italiano de Buenos Aires; Instituto Universitario Hospital Italiano de Buenos Aires; Fundación P.M. Catoggio, Buenos Aires, Argentina.W.T. Di, BA, School of Medicine, Stony Brook University; F. Vergara, MD, Rheumatology Fellow, Rheumatology Unit, Internal Medicine Services, Hospital Italiano de Buenos Aires; E. Bertiller, MD, Rheumatology Fellow, Rheumatology Unit, Internal Medicine Services, Hospital Italiano de Buenos Aires; M.A. Gallardo, MD, Rheumatology Fellow, Rheumatology Unit, Internal Medicine Services, Hospital Italiano de Buenos Aires; I. Gandino, MD, Rheumatology Fellow, Rheumatology Unit, Internal Medicine Services, Hospital Italiano de Buenos Aires; M. Scolnik, MD, Rheumatologist, Rheumatology Unit, Internal Medicine Services, Hospital Italiano de Buenos Aires; M.J. Martinez, MD, Rheumatology Fellow, Rheumatology Unit, Internal Medicine Services, Hospital Italiano de Buenos Aires; M.G. Schpilberg, MD, Coordinator, Department of Clinical Investigation, Hospital Italiano de Buenos Aires; J. Rosa, MD, Rheumatologist, Rheumatology Unit, Internal Medicine Services, Hospital Italiano de Buenos Aires and Instituto Universitario Hospital Italiano de Buenos Aires, and Fundación P.M. Catoggio; E.R. Soriano, MD, MS, Head of the Rheumatology Unit, Internal Medicine Services, Hospital Italiano de Buenos Aires and Instituto Universitario Hospital Italiano de Buenos Aires, and Fundación P.M. Catoggio.
authors.forename: Maria de Los Angeles
authors.initials: Mde L
authors.lastname: Gallardo
authors.affiliation: From the School of Medicine, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, New York, USA; Rheumatology Unit, Internal Medicine Services, and Department of Clinical Investigation, Hospital Italiano de Buenos Aires; Instituto Universitario Hospital Italiano de Buenos Aires; Fundación P.M. Catoggio, Buenos Aires, Argentina.W.T. Di, BA, School of Medicine, Stony Brook University; F. Vergara, MD, Rheumatology Fellow, Rheumatology Unit, Internal Medicine Services, Hospital Italiano de Buenos Aires; E. Bertiller, MD, Rheumatology Fellow, Rheumatology Unit, Internal Medicine Services, Hospital Italiano de Buenos Aires; M.A. Gallardo, MD, Rheumatology Fellow, Rheumatology Unit, Internal Medicine Services, Hospital Italiano de Buenos Aires; I. Gandino, MD, Rheumatology Fellow, Rheumatology Unit, Internal Medicine Services, Hospital Italiano de Buenos Aires; M. Scolnik, MD, Rheumatologist, Rheumatology Unit, Internal Medicine Services, Hospital Italiano de Buenos Aires; M.J. Martinez, MD, Rheumatology Fellow, Rheumatology Unit, Internal Medicine Services, Hospital Italiano de Buenos Aires; M.G. Schpilberg, MD, Coordinator, Department of Clinical Investigation, Hospital Italiano de Buenos Aires; J. Rosa, MD, Rheumatologist, Rheumatology Unit, Internal Medicine Services, Hospital Italiano de Buenos Aires and Instituto Universitario Hospital Italiano de Buenos Aires, and Fundación P.M. Catoggio; E.R. Soriano, MD, MS, Head of the Rheumatology Unit, Internal Medicine Services, Hospital Italiano de Buenos Aires and Instituto Universitario Hospital Italiano de Buenos Aires, and Fundación P.M. Catoggio.
authors.forename: Ignacio
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Gandino
authors.affiliation: From the School of Medicine, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, New York, USA; Rheumatology Unit, Internal Medicine Services, and Department of Clinical Investigation, Hospital Italiano de Buenos Aires; Instituto Universitario Hospital Italiano de Buenos Aires; Fundación P.M. Catoggio, Buenos Aires, Argentina.W.T. Di, BA, School of Medicine, Stony Brook University; F. Vergara, MD, Rheumatology Fellow, Rheumatology Unit, Internal Medicine Services, Hospital Italiano de Buenos Aires; E. Bertiller, MD, Rheumatology Fellow, Rheumatology Unit, Internal Medicine Services, Hospital Italiano de Buenos Aires; M.A. Gallardo, MD, Rheumatology Fellow, Rheumatology Unit, Internal Medicine Services, Hospital Italiano de Buenos Aires; I. Gandino, MD, Rheumatology Fellow, Rheumatology Unit, Internal Medicine Services, Hospital Italiano de Buenos Aires; M. Scolnik, MD, Rheumatologist, Rheumatology Unit, Internal Medicine Services, Hospital Italiano de Buenos Aires; M.J. Martinez, MD, Rheumatology Fellow, Rheumatology Unit, Internal Medicine Services, Hospital Italiano de Buenos Aires; M.G. Schpilberg, MD, Coordinator, Department of Clinical Investigation, Hospital Italiano de Buenos Aires; J. Rosa, MD, Rheumatologist, Rheumatology Unit, Internal Medicine Services, Hospital Italiano de Buenos Aires and Instituto Universitario Hospital Italiano de Buenos Aires, and Fundación P.M. Catoggio; E.R. Soriano, MD, MS, Head of the Rheumatology Unit, Internal Medicine Services, Hospital Italiano de Buenos Aires and Instituto Universitario Hospital Italiano de Buenos Aires, and Fundación P.M. Catoggio.
authors.forename: Marina
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Scolnik
authors.affiliation: From the School of Medicine, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, New York, USA; Rheumatology Unit, Internal Medicine Services, and Department of Clinical Investigation, Hospital Italiano de Buenos Aires; Instituto Universitario Hospital Italiano de Buenos Aires; Fundación P.M. Catoggio, Buenos Aires, Argentina.W.T. Di, BA, School of Medicine, Stony Brook University; F. Vergara, MD, Rheumatology Fellow, Rheumatology Unit, Internal Medicine Services, Hospital Italiano de Buenos Aires; E. Bertiller, MD, Rheumatology Fellow, Rheumatology Unit, Internal Medicine Services, Hospital Italiano de Buenos Aires; M.A. Gallardo, MD, Rheumatology Fellow, Rheumatology Unit, Internal Medicine Services, Hospital Italiano de Buenos Aires; I. Gandino, MD, Rheumatology Fellow, Rheumatology Unit, Internal Medicine Services, Hospital Italiano de Buenos Aires; M. Scolnik, MD, Rheumatologist, Rheumatology Unit, Internal Medicine Services, Hospital Italiano de Buenos Aires; M.J. Martinez, MD, Rheumatology Fellow, Rheumatology Unit, Internal Medicine Services, Hospital Italiano de Buenos Aires; M.G. Schpilberg, MD, Coordinator, Department of Clinical Investigation, Hospital Italiano de Buenos Aires; J. Rosa, MD, Rheumatologist, Rheumatology Unit, Internal Medicine Services, Hospital Italiano de Buenos Aires and Instituto Universitario Hospital Italiano de Buenos Aires, and Fundación P.M. Catoggio; E.R. Soriano, MD, MS, Head of the Rheumatology Unit, Internal Medicine Services, Hospital Italiano de Buenos Aires and Instituto Universitario Hospital Italiano de Buenos Aires, and Fundación P.M. Catoggio.
authors.forename: Maximiliano J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Martinez
authors.affiliation: From the School of Medicine, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, New York, USA; Rheumatology Unit, Internal Medicine Services, and Department of Clinical Investigation, Hospital Italiano de Buenos Aires; Instituto Universitario Hospital Italiano de Buenos Aires; Fundación P.M. Catoggio, Buenos Aires, Argentina.W.T. Di, BA, School of Medicine, Stony Brook University; F. Vergara, MD, Rheumatology Fellow, Rheumatology Unit, Internal Medicine Services, Hospital Italiano de Buenos Aires; E. Bertiller, MD, Rheumatology Fellow, Rheumatology Unit, Internal Medicine Services, Hospital Italiano de Buenos Aires; M.A. Gallardo, MD, Rheumatology Fellow, Rheumatology Unit, Internal Medicine Services, Hospital Italiano de Buenos Aires; I. Gandino, MD, Rheumatology Fellow, Rheumatology Unit, Internal Medicine Services, Hospital Italiano de Buenos Aires; M. Scolnik, MD, Rheumatologist, Rheumatology Unit, Internal Medicine Services, Hospital Italiano de Buenos Aires; M.J. Martinez, MD, Rheumatology Fellow, Rheumatology Unit, Internal Medicine Services, Hospital Italiano de Buenos Aires; M.G. Schpilberg, MD, Coordinator, Department of Clinical Investigation, Hospital Italiano de Buenos Aires; J. Rosa, MD, Rheumatologist, Rheumatology Unit, Internal Medicine Services, Hospital Italiano de Buenos Aires and Instituto Universitario Hospital Italiano de Buenos Aires, and Fundación P.M. Catoggio; E.R. Soriano, MD, MS, Head of the Rheumatology Unit, Internal Medicine Services, Hospital Italiano de Buenos Aires and Instituto Universitario Hospital Italiano de Buenos Aires, and Fundación P.M. Catoggio.
authors.forename: Mónica G
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Schpilberg
authors.affiliation: From the School of Medicine, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, New York, USA; Rheumatology Unit, Internal Medicine Services, and Department of Clinical Investigation, Hospital Italiano de Buenos Aires; Instituto Universitario Hospital Italiano de Buenos Aires; Fundación P.M. Catoggio, Buenos Aires, Argentina.W.T. Di, BA, School of Medicine, Stony Brook University; F. Vergara, MD, Rheumatology Fellow, Rheumatology Unit, Internal Medicine Services, Hospital Italiano de Buenos Aires; E. Bertiller, MD, Rheumatology Fellow, Rheumatology Unit, Internal Medicine Services, Hospital Italiano de Buenos Aires; M.A. Gallardo, MD, Rheumatology Fellow, Rheumatology Unit, Internal Medicine Services, Hospital Italiano de Buenos Aires; I. Gandino, MD, Rheumatology Fellow, Rheumatology Unit, Internal Medicine Services, Hospital Italiano de Buenos Aires; M. Scolnik, MD, Rheumatologist, Rheumatology Unit, Internal Medicine Services, Hospital Italiano de Buenos Aires; M.J. Martinez, MD, Rheumatology Fellow, Rheumatology Unit, Internal Medicine Services, Hospital Italiano de Buenos Aires; M.G. Schpilberg, MD, Coordinator, Department of Clinical Investigation, Hospital Italiano de Buenos Aires; J. Rosa, MD, Rheumatologist, Rheumatology Unit, Internal Medicine Services, Hospital Italiano de Buenos Aires and Instituto Universitario Hospital Italiano de Buenos Aires, and Fundación P.M. Catoggio; E.R. Soriano, MD, MS, Head of the Rheumatology Unit, Internal Medicine Services, Hospital Italiano de Buenos Aires and Instituto Universitario Hospital Italiano de Buenos Aires, and Fundación P.M. Catoggio.
authors.forename: Javier
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Rosa
authors.affiliation: From the School of Medicine, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, New York, USA; Rheumatology Unit, Internal Medicine Services, and Department of Clinical Investigation, Hospital Italiano de Buenos Aires; Instituto Universitario Hospital Italiano de Buenos Aires; Fundación P.M. Catoggio, Buenos Aires, Argentina.W.T. Di, BA, School of Medicine, Stony Brook University; F. Vergara, MD, Rheumatology Fellow, Rheumatology Unit, Internal Medicine Services, Hospital Italiano de Buenos Aires; E. Bertiller, MD, Rheumatology Fellow, Rheumatology Unit, Internal Medicine Services, Hospital Italiano de Buenos Aires; M.A. Gallardo, MD, Rheumatology Fellow, Rheumatology Unit, Internal Medicine Services, Hospital Italiano de Buenos Aires; I. Gandino, MD, Rheumatology Fellow, Rheumatology Unit, Internal Medicine Services, Hospital Italiano de Buenos Aires; M. Scolnik, MD, Rheumatologist, Rheumatology Unit, Internal Medicine Services, Hospital Italiano de Buenos Aires; M.J. Martinez, MD, Rheumatology Fellow, Rheumatology Unit, Internal Medicine Services, Hospital Italiano de Buenos Aires; M.G. Schpilberg, MD, Coordinator, Department of Clinical Investigation, Hospital Italiano de Buenos Aires; J. Rosa, MD, Rheumatologist, Rheumatology Unit, Internal Medicine Services, Hospital Italiano de Buenos Aires and Instituto Universitario Hospital Italiano de Buenos Aires, and Fundación P.M. Catoggio; E.R. Soriano, MD, MS, Head of the Rheumatology Unit, Internal Medicine Services, Hospital Italiano de Buenos Aires and Instituto Universitario Hospital Italiano de Buenos Aires, and Fundación P.M. Catoggio. enrique.soriano@hospitalitaliano.org.ar.
authors.forename: Enrique R
authors.initials: ER
authors.lastname: Soriano
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001118:Argentina / Q000453:epidemiology; D001172:Arthritis, Rheumatoid / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: EPIDEMIOLOGY; HEALTH SERVICES NEEDS AND DEMAND; RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS