Epidemiology of Rheumatoid Arthritis in Tirana, Albania

Aim: Rheumatoid arthritis is considered a clinical syndrome across several disease subsets characterized by systemic inflammation, persistent synovitis, and autoantibodies. Our aim was to assess the distribution of risk factors among people diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis in the adult population of Tirana, the capital city of Albania. Methods: All individuals diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis in primary health care services of Tirana city during the period 2009-2012 were included in this study. The diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis was based on the clinical signs and symptoms and laboratory tests including measurement of the rheumatoid factor. Results: Overall, there were identified 817 cases with rheumatoid arthritis in all primary health care centers of Tirana for the period 2009-2012. Of these, 529 (65%) were women and 288 (35%) were men. Genetic factors accounted for 60% of the diseases in women and 45% in men (P 0.001). In both sexes, the proportion of older individuals was higher compared with younger adults. Most of the individuals with rheumatoid were from urban areas of Tirana. Conclusion: Our study provides new evidence about the distribution of risk factors of rheumatoid arthritis in transitional Albania where valid and reliable data about this disease were scarce. Future studies in Albania should assess the prevalence of rheumatoid arthritis in population-based samples.