About one-third of United States veterans were diagnosed with arthritis between 2017 and 2021, a new report shows. The condition is higher in older veterans compared to those who never served. The data was published Friday in the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR).
Among men, arthritis was higher in veterans compared to nonveterans across all of the age groups studied, the data showed. The prevalence of arthritis was higher among veterans with disabilities than veterans without disabilities, the report showed. The age-adjusted prevalence of having arthritis was higher in women compared to men.
The prevalence of arthritis in male nonveterans 45 to 64 years old was 26.2% and 34.9% in veterans. Among women in that age bracket, 35.8% veterans had arthritis while 43% didn’t. In men 65 and up, 47.2% who were veterans had arthritis while 42% of nonveterans had it. There were 56.1% of veterans with arthritis, and 56.4% nonveterans with it.
Among women between 18 and 44 years of age, 60% of veterans had arthritis compared to nonveterans. In women 45 to 64 years old, arthritis prevalence among veterans was 20% higher than that among those who hadn’t served.
The high prevalence of arthritis among female veterans, veterans 65 and up and veterans with disabilities showed how important it was to give people equitable access to treatments.
Among men between 18 and 44, the prevalence of arthritis in veterans was 30% higher than nonveterans. Younger veterans may be living longer with arthritis and arthritis-attributable outcomes compared to people who didn’t serve. That could result in higher rates, longer periods of work disability and lost wages, the report said.
The data also looked at arthritis prevalence by state, body-mass index, race and other factors.
