The Arthritis Foundation recently came out with its list of the top 10 arthritis events for the year 2007. This series will focus on those events.

#2: Quantification of Work Limitation and Earnings Losses

If you are afflicted with a form of arthritis you may be well aware of the limitations it can cause in your life. This includes your ability to hold a job and make a living.

In 2007 the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released results from 2 surveys taken to evaluate the cost of arthritis.

The first study indicates that 1 in 3 working-age adults in the U.S. are affected by arthritis-attributable work limitation (AAWL). The CDC estimates that AAWL among working-age adults with doctor-diagnosed arthritis ranged from 25.1% in Nevada to 51.3% in Kentucky. The median among all of the states was 33.0%.

The second study demonstrated that earnings losses attributed to arthritis and other rheumatic conditions range from$79 in Washington D.C. to almost $4.3 billion in California.

The CDC also estimated the total cost (medical expenses and lost earnings) that can be attributed to arthritis and other rheumatic conditions in the U.S. was approximately $128 billion in 2003. That is equivalent to 1.2% of the gross domestic product. Of the $128 billion, $80.8 billion were from direct costs, such as medical expenses, and $47 billion for indirect costs, such as earnings loss. This calculates to a $1,752 annual per person average for direct costs and $1,590 a year lost earnings per working-age adult.