Global Study Links Ageing and Smoking to Rising Rheumatoid Arthritis Burden

New Delhi: A new AI-powered global study has found that the rise in the global burden of rheumatoid arthritis since 1980 is largely due to an ageing population and increased smoking rates. The study, published in the 'Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases', highlights the growing impact of demographic and lifestyle factors on the disease, along with widening inequalities in its burden across regions.

Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic autoimmune condition that mainly affects the joints, leading to pain, swelling, and stiffness. The study presents the most extensive analysis to date, using data from the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) study and a novel deep learning framework. It examined rheumatoid arthritis data across 953 global to local locations between 1980 and 2021.

Researchers found that the global burden of rheumatoid arthritis has continued to increase over the past four decades. The trend was especially notable among younger age groups and across a broader range of geographic locations. The analysis also revealed that socioeconomic disparities are playing a larger role in how the disease burden is distributed, with healthcare infrastructure and demographic patterns influencing outcomes differently across regions.

The study found that from 1990 to 2021, inequality in disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) related to rheumatoid arthritis rose by 62.55 per cent. In 2021, Finland, Ireland, and New Zealand were identified as the most unequal countries in terms of rheumatoid arthritis burden.

Economic status alone did not determine the disease burden. For example, high sociodemographic index (SDI) countries like Japan and the UK showed differing patterns. “Japan’s declining DALY rates despite high SDI may reflect nationwide early diagnosis programmes, widespread use of biologic therapies, and a diet rich in anti-inflammatory components,” said the researchers.

“By 2040, low-middle SDI regions may see increasing DALYs due to ageing/population growth, while DALYs in high SDI areas may decrease,” said Queran Lin, principal investigator from Imperial College London.

The study also emphasised the role of smoking control in reducing disease burden. “Controlling smoking may reduce rheumatoid arthritis deaths by 16.8 per cent and DALYs by 20.6 per cent in high-smoking regions (for example, China), offering significant benefits for medium/high SDI areas,” the researchers said.

Despite the growing burden, the team noted that many regions still lack adequate data to inform targeted interventions and evidence-based health policies.