COSTS OF OSTEOARTHRITIS - ESTIMATES FROM A GEOGRAPHICALLY DEFINED POPULATION

Using the population based data resources of the Rochester Epidemiolog y Project and a postal survey, we estimated all costs (direct medical, indirect medical, and nonmedical) incurred among a population based p revalence cohort of individuals with osteoarthritis (OA) and a nonarth ritic comparison cohort, Cost estimates were compared between the 2 gr oups adjusting for age and sex differences. Our results demonstrated t hat people with OA incur substantial incremental medical costs, not on ly for arthritis care, but also for the care of neurological, gastroin testinal, cardiac, and respiratory conditions compared to nonarthritic s. These data also demonstrated important and statistically significan tly higher levels of work disability among people with OA compared to their age and sex adjusted peers without arthritis from the same commu nity.