The prevalence of rheumatoid arthritis in the Qassim region of Saudi Arabia

Abstract

Background: Although rheumatoid arthritis (RA) of varying degrees of severity has been seen in our clinics, there is no statistical evidence of the magnitude of the problem in Saudi nationals. We conducted this study to determine the prevalence of RA in the Al Qassim Region of Saudi Arabia.

Patients and methods: Five thousand eight hundred and ninety-one Saudi adults, aged 16 years and over, were studied in a house-to-house survey in the Al Qassim Region.

Results: Of the 5891 adults studied, 13 cases of RA were identified, using the criteria set for the diagnosis of RA by the American College of Rheumatology. Thirty-five percent of our patients showed positive rheumatoid factor.

Conclusion: The prevalence of RA in Al Qassim was estimated at 2.2 per thousand people. It was also noted that the prevalence of the disease increased with age, and that it was more common in females.