The lifetime economic costs of rheumatoid arthritis.

The lifetime economic costs of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) were estimated in a cohort with initial onset of RA in 1977. These costs included medical care expenses as well as the costs associated with illness-related work loss, overall and by age/sex category. The present value of the lifetime economic costs of RA was estimated to be $20,412/case in 1977 dollars, which is nearly as great as that for stroke and coronary heart disease. The study also highlighted the need for improved data on disease incidence, treatment costs, and survival experience of RA patients.