Bhubaneswar, Oct 19: More than 7 crore people in the country are presently suffering from arthritis problems, experts said.
Speaking at a public awareness programme organised at AIIMS Bhubaneswar to mark the World Arthritis day on Thursday, they said females are affected more in cases of Rheumatoid arthritis and SLE while males are affected more in Ankylosing spondylitis.
There is another type of arthritis called Osteoarthritis which is usually related to joint degeneration and age related. This can be found in older age groups, they said.
In most of the cases, females are affected more. If not treated properly and timely, this can lead to life threatening complications that can lead to death too, the experts opined.
The theme for this year’s World Arthritis Day was ‘Living with a Rheumatological and Musculoskeletal Disorder at all stages of life’.
More than one thousand patients suffering from various arthritis and autoimmune diseases are coming to AIIMS Bhubaneswar General Medicine OPD every month.
Over 50 patients suffering from these diseases are admitted every month in General Medicine wards, said eminent medical scientist and AIIMS Bhubaneswar Executive Director Dr. Ashutosh Biswas.
Dr. Biswas said the department also runs a special Rheumatology clinic specifically for these patients.
General Medicine department head Dr. Anupam Dey said various diagnostic tests and imaging tests are available at AIIMS Bhubaneswar.
