Charles Janice, Britt Helena, Pan Ying
Family Medicine Research Centre, University of Sydney, New South Wales.
Aust Fam Physician. 2013 Nov;42(11):765.
Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic inflammatory disease characterised by joint swelling, joint tenderness and destruction of synovial joints, leading to severe disability. RA is considered an autoimmune disease. A study in the UK found the population minimum prevalence of RA is 1.16% in women and 0.44% in men. In Australia, the estimated prevalence is 0.6%. Using BEACH data from April 2011 to March 2013, we examined the rate of RA and its management in Australian general practice.
类风湿性关节炎（RA）是一种慢性炎症性疾病，其特征为关节肿胀、关节压痛以及滑膜关节破坏，可导致严重残疾。RA被认为是一种自身免疫性疾病。英国的一项研究发现，RA在女性中的最低患病率为1.16%，在男性中为0.44%。在澳大利亚，估计患病率为0.6%。我们利用2011年4月至2013年3月的BEACH数据，研究了澳大利亚全科医疗中RA的发病率及其管理情况。
