Korean rheumatoid arthritis disability rates dropped significantly from 2010 to 2022
Researchers analyzed national registry data to find that physical disability among Korean rheumatoid arthritis patients decreased substantially between 2010 and 2022.
A team led by Ji-Won Kim examined over 33,992 patients in 2010 and 67,844 in 2022 using health insurance records. The study focused on seropositive cases registered in a specific assistance program for rare diseases across the nation.
The prevalence of registered disability fell from 20.3% to 14.6% during the thirteen year study period. Physical disability rates also declined from 17.4% down to 10.9% for both men and women in the database. These changes were statistically significant for both sexes in the analysis.
Among newly diagnosed individuals, the incidence of physical disability dropped by 6.7% every single year since the start. Men showed higher rates of registered disability compared to women, though physical impairment patterns did not differ by sex.
Older age, male gender, and lower income levels were linked to increased chances of receiving registered disability certification. Despite improvements, patients still faced a higher burden of disability compared to the general population in 2022.