Arthritis is the leading cause of disability in the United States. In 2003, arthritis and other rheumatic conditions affected 70 million people - a number that is expected to climb as the "baby boom" generation ages. That is almost 33 percent of the population.

Arthritis conditions do not usually cause death, but they do worsen health-related quality of life.

Arthritis is the leading cause of disability in the United States, limiting the everyday activities of more than 7 million Americans. Arthritis results in nearly 32 million physician visits (Source: National Center for Health Statistics; Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; 2003 Ambulatory Medical Care Survey.) and more than 1 million hospitalizations each year (Source: National Center for Health Statistics; Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; 2003 National Hospital Discharge Survey.)

Findings on the impact of arthritis by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) show people with arthritis have worse health-related quality of life than people without it, regardless of gender, age, or level of education.

• Their general self-rated health.
• The frequency of days in which their physical health was not good.
• The frequency of days in which their mental health was not good.
• The frequency of days in which their usual activities were limited.

Overall, the CDC found that about 29 percent of the people interviewed had arthritis. Doctors had diagnosed most of these people (75 percent). Others had symptoms of pain, aching, stiffness, or swelling in or around a joint on most days for at least a month.

The prevalence of arthritis among the respondents having either chronic joint symptoms or doctor-diagnosed arthritis was:

People with arthritis reported having fair or poor health about three times more often than did people without arthritis. The CDC says "unhealthy days" are days in which physical and/or mental health was not good. Among arthritis sufferers, the unhealthiest days were experienced by:

• Women
• Younger people
• People with less than a college education

Depression is common in people with all types of arthritis, especially rheumatoid. For people with less education, unhealthy days may reflect less access to health care or more physical labor, the CDC says.

Prevailing myths have portrayed arthritis as an inevitable part of aging that can only be endured. But, the CDC says there are effective interventions that are available to prevent or reduce arthritis-related pain and disability. These include early diagnosis and appropriate management, including weight control, physical activity, physical and occupational therapy, and joint replacement, when necessary.