Skip to main content
Key Specialties
Cardiology Diabetology Endocrinology Gastroenterology Geriatrics and Gerontology Gynecology and Obstetrics Hematology Infectious Disease Internal Medicine Nephrology Neurology Oncology Pediatrics Respiratory Medicine Rheumatology Surgery
Congress Coverage
2024 ACC Congress 2023 ESMO Congress 2023 EASD Congress 2023 ERS Congress 2023 ESC Congress
Clinical Collections
Advances in Alzheimer’s

At a glance: The STEP trials

A round-up of the STEP phase 3 clinical trials evaluating semaglutide for weight loss in people with overweight or obesity.
ADVANCED SEARCH
Log in
Top
BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders
Published in: BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders 1/2010

Open Access 01-12-2010 | Research article

The prevalence of rheumatic diseases in central Greece: a population survey

Authors: Ioannis Anagnostopoulos, Elias Zinzaras, Ioannis Alexiou, Aphrodite A Papathanasiou, Evangelos Davas, Athanasios Koutroumpas, Georgia Barouta, Lazaros I Sakkas

Published in: BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders | Issue 1/2010

Login to get access

Abstract

Background

Rheumatic diseases are a major health and financial burden for societies. The prevalence of rheumatic diseases may change over time, and therefore, we sought to estimate the prevalence of rheumatic diseases in an adult population of central Greece.

Methods

In this prospective cross-sectional population survey, a random sample of adult population was drawn from poll catalogues of a region in central Greece. A postal questionnaire was sent to 3,528 people for the presence of any rheumatic disease. All positive cases were further confirmed by clinical examination using the American College of Rheumatoloy criteria. Multiple regression analysis was used to assess risk factors for rheumatic diseases.

Results

The response rate was 48.3% (1,705 answers). Four hundred and twenty individuals (24.6%) had a rheumatic disease. The prevalence of rheumatoid arthritis was 0.58% (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.32-0.87), of psoriatic arthritis was 0.35% (95% CI, 0.33-1.13), of ankylosing spondylitis was 0.29% (95% CI, 0.28-0.94), of primary Sjögren's syndrome was 0.23% (95% CI, 0.22-0.75) and of systemic lupus erythematosus was 0.11% (95% CI, 0.11-0.37). One individual had systemic sclerosis (prevalence, 0.058%), 1 individual had dermatomyositis (prevalence, 0.058%; 95% CI, 0.05-0.18), 2 individuals had vasculitis (prevalence 0.11%; 95% CI, 0.11-0.37), 81 individuals had gout (prevalence, 4.75%; 95% CI, 4.41-5.13), and 304 individuals had osteoarthritis (OA) (prevalence 17.82%; 95% CI, 16.50-19.34). Gout was associated with male gender, diabetes mellitus, and hypertension, and OA was associated with age, female gender, and hypertension.

Conclusions

Rheumatic diseases are common in central Greece, affecting nearly a quarter of adult population. OA and gout are the most common joint disorders.
Literature
1.
Yelin E, Cisternas M, Pasta D, Trupin L, Murphy L, Helmick CG: Medical care expenditures and earning losses of persons with arthritis and other rheumatic conditions in the United States in 1997:total and incremental estimates. Arthritis Rheum. 2004, 50: 2317-26. 10.1002/art.20298.CrossRefPubMed
2.
Fessel WJ: Epidemiology of systemic lupus erythematosus. Rheum Dis Clin North Am. 1988, 14: 15-23.PubMed
3.
Chifflot H, Fautrel B, Sordet C, Chatelus E, Sibilia J: Incidence and prevalence of systemic sclerosis: a systematic literature review. Sem Arthritis Rheum. 2008, 37: 223-35. 10.1016/j.semarthrit.2007.05.003.CrossRef
4.
Helmick CG, Felson DT, Lawrence RC, Gabriel S, Hirsch R, Kent Kwoh C, Liang MH, Kremers HM, Mayes MD, Merkel PA, Pillemer SR, Reveille JD, Stone JH: Estimates of the prevalence of arthritis and other rheumatic conditions in the United States. Part I. Arthritis Rheum. 2008, 58: 15-25. 10.1002/art.23177.CrossRefPubMed
5.
Drosos AA, Alamanos I, Voulgari PV, Psychos DN, Katsaraki A, Papadopoulos I, Dimou G, Siozos C: Epidemiology of adult rheumatoid arthritis in northwest Greece 1987-1995. J Rheumatol. 1997, 24: 2129-33.PubMed
6.
Andrianakos A, Trontzas P, Christogiannis F, Dantis P, Voudouris C, Georgountzos A, Kaziolas G, Vafiadou E, Pantelidou K, Karamitsos D, Kontelis L, Krachtis P, Nikolia Z, Kaskani E, Tavaniotou E, Antoniades C, Karanikolas G, Kontoyanni A: Prevalence of rheumatic diseases in Greece: a cross-sectional population based epidemiological study. The ESORDIG Study. J Rheumatol. 2003, 30: 1589-601.PubMed
7.
Wallace SL, Robinson H, Masi ET, Decker JL, Mc Carty DJ, Yu TF: Preliminary criteria for the classification of the acute arthritis of primary gout. Arthritis Rheum. 1977, 20: 895-900. 10.1002/art.1780200320.CrossRefPubMed
8.
Bird HA, Esselinckx W, Dixon AS, Mowat AG, Wood PH: An evaluation of criteria for polymyalgia rheumatica. Ann Rheum Dis. 1979, 38: 434-9. 10.1136/ard.38.5.434.CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral
9.
Subcommittee for Scleroderma Criteria of the American Rheumatism Association Diagnostic and Therapeutic Criteria Committee: Preliminary criteria for the classification of systemic sclerosis (scleroderma). Arthritis Rheum. 1980, 23: 581-90. 10.1002/art.1780230510.CrossRef
10.
Tan EM, Cohen AS, Fries JF, Masi AT, McShane DJ, Rothfield NF, Schaller JG, Talal N, Winchester RJ: The 1982 revised criteria for the classification of systemic lupus erythematosus. Arthritis Rheum. 1982, 25: 1271-7. 10.1002/art.1780251101.CrossRefPubMed
11.
Arnett FC, Edworthy SM, Bloch DA, McShane DJ, Fries JF, Cooper NS, Healey LA, Kaplan SR, Liang MH, Luthra HS: The American Rheumatism Association 1987 revised criteria for the classification of rheumatoid arthritis. Arthritis Rheum. 1998, 31: 315-24. 10.1002/art.1780310302.CrossRef
12.
Hunder GG, Bloch DA, Mitchell BA, Stevens MB, Arend WP, Calabrese LH, Edworthy SM, Fauci AS, Leavitt RY, Lie JT: The American College of Rheumatology1990 criteria for the classification of giant cell arteritis. Arthritis Rheum. 1990, 33: 1122-8.CrossRefPubMed
13.
Dougados M, Linden van der S, Juhlin R, Huitfeldt B, Amor B, Calin A, Cats A, Dijkmans B, Olivieri I, Pasero G: The European Spondyloarthropathy Study Group preliminary criteria for spondyloarthropathy. Arthritis Rheum. 1991, 34: 1218-27. 10.1002/art.1780341003.CrossRefPubMed
14.
Vitali C, Bombardieri S, Jonsson R, Moutsopoulos HM, Alexander EL, Carsons SE, Daniels TE, Fox PC, Fox RI, Kassan SS, Pillemer SR, Talal N, Weisman MH: Classification criteria for Sjogren's syndrome: a revised version of the European criteria proposed by the American-European consensus group. Ann Rheum Dis. 2002, 61: 554-58. 10.1136/ard.61.6.554.CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral
15.
Taylor W, Gladman D, Helliwell P, Marchesoni A, Mease P, Mielants H, for the CASPAR study group: Classification criteria for psoriatic arthritis: development of new criteria from a large international study. Arthritis Rheum. 2006, 54: 2665-73. 10.1002/art.21972.CrossRefPubMed
16.
MacGregor AJ, Riste LK, Hazes JMW, Silman AJ: Low prevalence of rheumatoid arthritis in black-Caribbeans compared with whites in inner city Manchester. Ann Rheum Dis. 1994, 53: 293-7. 10.1136/ard.53.5.293.CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral
17.
Simonsson M, Bergman S, Jacobsson LTH, Petersson IF, Svensson B: The prevalence of rheumatoid arthritis in Sweden. Scand J Rheumatol. 1999, 28: 340-3. 10.1080/03009749950155319.CrossRefPubMed
18.
Cimmino MA, Parisi M, Moggiana G, Mela GS, Accardo S: Prevalence of rheumatoid arthritis in Italy: the Chiavari study. Ann Rheum Dis. 1998, 57: 315-8. 10.1136/ard.57.5.315.CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral
19.
Carmona L, Villaverde V, Hernandez-Garcia C, Ballina J, Gabriel R, Laffon A, for the EPISER study group: The prevalence of rheumatoid arthritis in the general population of Spain. Rheumatology. 2002, 41: 88-95. 10.1093/rheumatology/41.1.88.CrossRefPubMed
20.
Andrianakos A, Trontzas P, Christoyiannis F, Kaskani E, Nikolia Z, Tavaniotou E, Georgountzos A, Krachtis P, for the ESORDIG study group: Prevalence and management of rheumatoid arthritis in the general population of Greece-the ESORDIG study. Rheumatology. 2006, 45: 1549-54. 10.1093/rheumatology/kel140.CrossRefPubMed
21.
Baum J, Ziff M: The rarity of ankylosing spondylitis in the black race. Arthritis Rheum. 1971, 14: 12-8. 10.1002/art.1780140103.CrossRefPubMed
22.
Backland G, Nossent HC, Gran JT: Incidence and prevalence of ankylosing spondylitis in Northern Norway. Arthritis Rheum. 2005, 53: 850-5. 10.1002/art.21577.CrossRef
23.
de Angelis R, Salalfi F, Grassi W: Prevalence of spondyloarthropathies in an Italian population sample: a regional community-based study. Scand J Rheumatol. 2007, 36: 14-21. 10.1080/03009740600904243.CrossRefPubMed
24.
Alamanos Y, Papadopoulos NG, Voulgari PV, Karakatsanis A, Siozos C, Drosos AA: Epidemiology of ankylosing spondylitis in northwest Greece, 1983-2002. Rheumatology. 2004, 43: 615-8. 10.1093/rheumatology/keh133.CrossRefPubMed
25.
Onen F, Akar S, Birlik M, Sari I, Khan MA, Gourler O, Ergor A, Manisali M, Akkoc N: Prevalence of ankylosing spondylitis and related spondyloarthritides in an urban area of Izmir, Turkey. J Rheumatol. 2008, 35: 305-9.PubMed
26.
Shbeeb M, Uramoto KM, Gibson LE, O' Fallon WM, Gabriel SE: The epidemiology of psoriatic arthritis in Olmsted County, Minesota, USA, 1982 - 1991. J Rheumatol. 2000, 27: 1247-50.PubMed
27.
Gelfand JM, Gladman DD, Mease PJ, Smith N, Margolis DJ, Nijsten T, Stern RS, Feldman SR, Rolstad T: Epidemiology of psoriatic arthritis in the population of the United States. J Am Acad Dermatol. 2005, 53: 573-77. 10.1016/j.jaad.2005.03.046.CrossRefPubMed
28.
Madland TM, Apalset EM, Johannessen AE, Rossebo B, Brun JG: Prevalence, disease manifestations, and treatment of psoriatic arthritis in Western Norway. J Rheumatol. 2005, 32: 1918-22.PubMed
29.
Alamanos Y, Voulgari PV, Siozos C, Katsimpri P, Tsintzos S, Dimou G, Politi EN, Rapti A, Laina G, Drosos AA: Epidemiology of systemic lupus erythematosus in northwest Greece 1982-2001. J Rheumatol. 2003, 30: 731-735.PubMed
30.
Bernatsky S, Joseph L, Pineau CA, Tamblyn R, Feldman DE, Clarke AE: A population-based assessment of systemic lupus erythematosus incidence and prevalence results and implications of using administrative data for epidemiological studies. Rheumatology. 2007, 46: 1814-1818. 10.1093/rheumatology/kem233.CrossRefPubMed
31.
Nightngale AL, Farmer RD, de Vries CS: Systemic lupus erythematosus prevalence in UK: methodological issues when using the General Practice Research Database to estimate frequency of chronic relapsing-remitting disease. Pharmacoepidimiol Drug Saf. 2007, 16: 144-51. 10.1002/pds.1253.CrossRef
32.
Lopez P, Mozo L, Gutierrez C, Suarez A: Epidemiology of systemic lupus erythematosus in a northern Spanish population: gender and age influence on immunological features. Lupus. 2003, 12: 860-865. 10.1191/0961203303lu469xx.CrossRefPubMed
33.
Govoni M, Gastellino G, Bosi S, Napoli N, Trotta F: Incidence and prevalence of systemic lupus erythematosus in a district of north Italy. Lupus. 2006, 15: 110-113. 10.1191/0961203306lu2235xx.CrossRefPubMed
34.
Dafni UG, Tzioufas AG, Staikos P, Skopouli FN, Moutsopoulos HM: Prevalence of Sjogren's syndrome in a closed rural community. Ann Rheum Dis. 1997, 56: 521-525. 10.1136/ard.56.9.521.CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral
35.
Trontzas PI, Andrianakos AA: Sjogren's syndrome: a population based study of prevalence in Greece. The ESORDIG study. Ann Rheum Dis. 2005, 64: 1240-41. 10.1136/ard.2004.031021.CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral
36.
Haugen AJ, Peen E, Hulten B, Johannessen AC, Brun JG, Halse AK, Haga HJ: Estimation of the prevalence of primary Sjogren's syndrome in two age-different community-based populations using the two sets of classification criteria: the Hordaland Health Study. Scand J Rheumatol. 2008, 37: 30-4. 10.1080/03009740701678712.CrossRefPubMed
37.
Thomas E, Hay EM, Hajeer A, Silman AJ: Sjogren's syndrome: a community based study of prevalence and impact. Br J Rheumatol. 1998, 37: 1069-76. 10.1093/rheumatology/37.10.1069.CrossRefPubMed
38.
Wallace KL, Riedel AA, Joseph-Ridge N, Wortmann R: Increasing prevalence of gout and hyperuricemia over 10 years among older adults in a managed care population. J Rheumatol. 2004, 31: 1582-7.PubMed
39.
Kramer HM, Curhan G: The association between gout and nephrolithiasis: the National health and Nutrition Examination Survey III, 1988-1994. Am J Kidney Dis. 2002, 40: 37-42. 10.1053/ajkd.2002.33911.CrossRefPubMed
40.
Lawrence RC, Felson DT, Helmick CG, Arnold LM, Choi H, Deyo RA, Gabriel S, Hirsch R, Hochberg MC, Hunder GG, Jordan JM, Katz JN, Kremers HM, Wolfe F: Estimates of the prevalence of arthritis and other rheumatic conditions in the United States: Part II. Arthritis Rheum. 2008, 58: 26-35. 10.1002/art.23176.CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral
41.
Harris CM, Lloyd DCEF, Lewis J: The prevalence and prophylaxis of gout in England. J Clin Epidemiol. 1995, 48: 1153-58. 10.1016/0895-4356(94)00244-K.CrossRefPubMed
42.
Mikuls TR, Farrar JT, Bilker WB, Fernandes S, Schumacher HR, Saag KG: Gout epidemiology: results from the UK general practice research database, 1990-1999. Ann Rheum Dis. 2005, 64: 267-272. 10.1136/ard.2004.024091.CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral
43.
Annemans L, Spaepen E, Gaskin M, Bonnemaire M, Malier V, Gilbert T, Nuki G: Gout in the UK and Germany: prevalence, co-morbidities and management in general practice 2000-2005. Ann Rheum Dis. 2008, 67: 960-6. 10.1136/ard.2007.076232.CrossRefPubMed
44.
Nan H, Qiao Q, Dong Y, Gao W, Tang B, Qian R, Tuomilehto J: The prevalence of hyperuricemia in a population of the coastal city of Qingdao, China. J Rheumatol. 2006, 33: 1346-50.PubMed
45.
46.
Puig JG, Martinez MA: Hyperuricemia, gout and the metabolic syndrome. Curr Opin Rheumatol. 2008, 20: 187-91. 10.1097/BOR.0b013e3282f4b1ed.CrossRefPubMed
47.
Zhang Y, Niu J, Kelly-Hayes M, Chaisson CE, Aliabadi P, Felson DT: Prevalence of symptomatic hand osteoarthritis and its impact on functional status among the elderly. The Framingham study. Am J Epidemiol. 2002, 156: 1021-7. 10.1093/aje/kwf141.CrossRefPubMed
48.
Felson DT, Naimatk A, Anderson J, Kazis L, Castelli W, Meenan RF: The prevalence of knee osteoarthritis in the elderly: the Framingham osteoarthritis study. Arthritis Rheum. 1987, 30: 914-18. 10.1002/art.1780300811.CrossRefPubMed
49.
Dilon CF, Rasch EK, Gu Q, Hirsch R: Prevalence of knee osteoarthritis in the United States: arthritis data from the third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 1991-94. J Rheumatol. 2006, 33: 2271-79.
50.
Jordan JM, Helmick CG, Renner JR, Luta G, Dragomir AD, Woodard J, Fang F, Schwartz TA, Abbate LM, Callahan LF, Kalsbeek WD, Hochberg MC: Prevalence of knee symptoms and radiographic and symptomatic knee osteoarthritis in African Americans and Caucasians; the Johnston county osteoarthritis project. J Rheumatol. 2007, 34: 172-80.PubMed
51.
Kopec JA, Rahman MM, Berthelot JM, Le Petit C, Aghajanian J, Sayre EE, Cibere J, Anis AH, Badley EM: Descriptive epidemiology of osteoarthritis in British Columbia, Canada. J Rheumatol. 2007, 34: 386-93.PubMed
52.
Roux CH, Saraux A, Mazieres B, Pouchot J, Morvan J, Fautrel B, Testa J, Fardellone P, Rat AC, Coste J, Guillemin F, Euller-Ziegler L: Screening for hip and knee osteoarthritis in the general population: predictive value of a questionnaire and prevalence estimates. Ann Rheum Dis. 2008, 67: 1406-11. 10.1136/ard.2007.075952.CrossRefPubMed
53.
Carmona L, Ballina J, Gabriel R, Laffon A, for the EPISER study group: The burden of musculoskeletal diseases in the general population of Spain: results from a national survey. Ann Rheum Dis. 2001, 60: 1040-45. 10.1136/ard.60.11.1040.CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral
54.
Andrianakos AA, Kontelis LK, Karamitsos DE, Aslanidis SI, Georgountzos AI, Kaziolas GO, Pantelidou KV, Vafiadou EV, Dantis PC, for the ESORDIG study group: Prevalence of symptomatic knee, hand, and hip osteoarthritis in Greece. The ESORDIG study. J Rheumatol. 2006, 33: 2507-13.PubMed
55.
Dalaghin S, Bierma-Zeinstra SMA, Ginai AZ, Pols HAP, Hazes JMW, Koes BW: Prevalence and pattern of radiographic hand osteoarthritis and association with pain and disability (the Rotterdam study). Ann Rheum Dis. 2005, 64: 682-87. 10.1136/ard.2004.023564.CrossRef
56.
Martin LM, Leff M, Calogne N, Garrett C, Nelson DE: Validation of self-report chronic conditions and health services in a managed care population. Am J Prev Med. 2000, 18: 215-18. 10.1016/S0749-3797(99)00158-0.CrossRefPubMed
57.
Grotle M, Hagen KB, Natvig FA, Dahl FA, Kvien TK: The prevalence and burden of osteoarthritis: results from a population survey in Norway. J Rheumatol. 2008, 35: 677-84.PubMed
Metadata
Title
The prevalence of rheumatic diseases in central Greece: a population survey
Authors
Ioannis Anagnostopoulos
Elias Zinzaras
Ioannis Alexiou
Aphrodite A Papathanasiou
Evangelos Davas
Athanasios Koutroumpas
Georgia Barouta
Lazaros I Sakkas
Publication date
01-12-2010
Publisher
BioMed Central
Published in
BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders / Issue 1/2010
Electronic ISSN: 1471-2474
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1186/1471-2474-11-98

Other articles of this Issue 1/2010

BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders 1/2010 Go to the issue

Research article

Are joint and soft tissue injections painful? Results of a national French cross-sectional study of procedural pain in rheumatological practice

Technical advance

Fluoroscopically guided transforaminal epidural dry needling for lumbar spinal stenosis using a specially designed needle

Study protocol

The NEtherlands Cervical Kinematics (NECK) Trial. Cost-effectiveness of anterior cervical discectomy with or without interbody fusion and arthroplasty in the treatment of cervical disc herniation; a double-blind randomised multicenter study

Case report

Primary psoas abscess extending to thigh adductors: case report

Research article

Effect of an education programme for patients with osteoarthritis in primary care - a randomized controlled trial

Research article

Validity and inter-rater reliability of medio-lateral knee motion observed during a single-limb mini squat