New Delhi, June 16
An increase in the elderly population as well as a rise in smoking are behind the surge in the global rheumatoid arthritis burden since 1980, according to an AI-powered study.
Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic autoimmune disease that primarily affects joints, causing pain, swelling, and stiffness.
The novel analysis published in the Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases details significant socioeconomic disparities and worsening inequalities in disease burden.
The findings revealed that demographic ageing, population growth, and uneven healthcare infrastructure exacerbate rheumatoid arthritis burdens differently across regions.
Using data from the Global Burden of Disease (GBD), the study integrated the largest spatiotemporal rheumatoid arthritis dataset spanning 953 global to local locations from 1980 to 2021 with a novel deep learning framework.
It showed that from 1980 to 2021, the global rheumatoid arthritis burden kept rising. The increase was significant among younger age groups and a wider range of geographic locations worldwide.