PARLIAMENTARY WRITTEN QUESTION
Arthritis (24 June 2019)
Question Asked
Asked by:
Sir John Hayes (Conservative)
Answer
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) estimates that there as many as 422,000 people affected in the whole of the United Kingdom.
Whilst the exact cause of the condition is not known, the following risk factors can play a role in the development of the disease:
- age, as the condition is most commonly diagnosed between the ages of 40 and 60;
- sex, as the overall occurrence of condition is two to four times greater in women than men;
- smoking;
- obesity; and
- there is also some evidence to suggest genes are a factor.
Information on the symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis, risk factors and the treatment of the condition can be found on the National Health Service website at the following link:
www.nhs.uk/conditions/rheumatoid-arthritis/causes/
The NICE guideline also provides information for clinicians on the diagnosis, treatment, care and support of patients with the condition. The guideline can be found at the following link:
www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng100
Answered by:
Seema Kennedy (Conservative)
2 July 2019
Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0.