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| For more information contact: John D. Law For immediate release Statistics Released on Burden of Arthritis in West Virginia According to statistics newly released by the West Virginia Bureau for Public Health, more than one-third (37 percent) of adults in the state have been diagnosed with arthritis or other rheumatic conditions (rheumatoid arthritis, gout, lupus, or fibromyalgia). The Burden of Arthritis in West Virginia, 2003 reports new data on arthritis from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS), a health survey of adults aged 18 or older conducted in each of the 50 states, the District of Columbia, and three U.S. territories. West Virignia had the highest rate of arthritis-related diagnoses of all the 54 participants in the 2003 BRFSS. Thirty-nine percent of state women reported having arthritis, as did 35 percent of state men. The same survey asked about arthritis-related limitations in daily activities and in work activities. Thirty-six percent of West Virginians said they were limited in their usual activities because of arthritis; thirty-two percent of residents reported having work activities limited by arthritis. Arthritis and other rheumatic conditions impose a tremendous financial burden on the state and the nation. According to estimates published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, a total of $750 million was expended on arthritis-related conditions in West Virginia in 1997, $445 million in direct medical costs (medical care expenditures) and $305 million in indirect costs (the value of time lost from work). The West Virginia Bureau for Public Health and the Arthritis Foundation, Ohio River Valley Chapter, are collaborating in the development of the West Virginia Arthritis Coalition to address the problem of arthritis and related conditions in the state. The statewide council is open to all organizations and individuals who are committed to improving the quality of life for people with arthritis. For further information, contact Germaine Weis with the Bureau for Public Health, Office of Epidemiology and Health Promotion, at (304) 558-0644 or germaineweis@wvdhhr.org. – 30 – |