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Reactive arthritis epidemiology and demographics

Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1];Associate Editor(s)-in-Chief: Akshun Kalia M.B.B.S.[2]

Overview

The incidence of reactive arthritis following a gastrointestinal or genitourinary infection is approximately 3-27 cases per 100,000 individuals worldwide. The prevalence of reactive arthritis is approximately 30-40 cases per 100,000 individuals worldwide. Reactive arthritis commonly affects young adults in the age group of 18-35 years of age. Men are more commonly affected with reactive arthritis than females with male to female ratio of approximately 4:1. There is no racial predilection to reactive arthritis.

Epidemiology and Demographics

Incidence

  • The incidence of reactive arthritis following a gastrointestinal or genitourinary infection is approximately 3-27 cases per 100,000 individuals worldwide.[1]
  • The incidence rate of reactive arthritis varies with the underlying infection.[2]

Prevalence

  • The prevalence of reactive arthritis is approximately 30-40 cases per 100,000 individuals worldwide.[3][4][5]

Age

  • Patients of all age groups may develop reactive arthritis.
  • Reactive arthritis commonly affects young adults in the age group of 18-35 years of age.

Race

  • There is no racial predilection to reactive arthritis.

Gender

  • Reactive arthritis affects both men and women. However, men are more commonly affected than females.
  • The male to female ratio is approximately 4:1.

References

  1. Townes JM, Deodhar AA, Laine ES, Smith K, Krug HE, Barkhuizen A, Thompson ME, Cieslak PR, Sobel J (December 2008). “Reactive arthritis following culture-confirmed infections with bacterial enteric pathogens in Minnesota and Oregon: a population-based study”. Ann. Rheum. Dis. 67 (12): 1689–96. doi:10.1136/ard.2007.083451. PMID 18272671.
  2. Ajene AN, Fischer Walker CL, Black RE (September 2013). “Enteric pathogens and reactive arthritis: a systematic review of Campylobacter, salmonella and Shigella-associated reactive arthritis”. J Health Popul Nutr. 31 (3): 299–307. PMC 3805878. PMID 24288942.
  3. Townes JM (January 2010). “Reactive arthritis after enteric infections in the United States: the problem of definition”. Clin. Infect. Dis. 50 (2): 247–54. doi:10.1086/649540. PMID 20025528.
  4. Rohekar S, Pope J (July 2009). “Epidemiologic approaches to infection and immunity: the case of reactive arthritis”. Curr Opin Rheumatol. 21 (4): 386–90. doi:10.1097/BOR.0b013e32832aac66. PMID 19373091.
  5. Hannu T (June 2011). “Reactive arthritis”. Best Pract Res Clin Rheumatol. 25 (3): 347–57. doi:10.1016/j.berh.2011.01.018. PMID 22100285.


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