A lot of baby boomers are already feeling the aches and pains of arthritis and the problem will only get worse, with the disease now ranked the No. 1 cause of disability in this country.
The growth of the potentially debilitating disease was revealed in a press conference by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Washington. The event included a Wallingford woman who, despite being diagnosed with osteoarthritis in 1985, recently took a trip to Walt Disney World with her family -- and walked the whole park.
"My son said, 'Mom, you rock!'" said Jacki Barbato, 75, before she left for the capital. "Not once did I hold anybody up. ... I was tired, but guess what, they were, too!" Of the eight children and grandchildren on the trip, none was older than 47, she said.
Barbato credits her mobility to the Arthritis Foundation's exercise program, which she has participated in for 10 years. It doesn't cure the arthritis in her legs, hands and back, but it helps her get around and do routine things like opening jars and turning doorknobs.
"We do all kinds of strengthening exercises," Barbato said of the twice-a-week class. "We stress mobility. We do a lot of stretching to keep as strong as possible."
The CDC report, issued in today's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, is the first time in more than 10 years that the leading causes of disability in the U.S. have been reported.
Arthritis or rheumatism was the most common cause of disability, with 19 percent of those surveyed, or 8.6 million Americans. Women are affected at a higher rate than men at 24.3 percent to 11.5 percent for men.
Overall, 46 million Americans have arthritis, and the number is expected to rise to 67 million by 2030 as baby boomers march toward old age.
Already, the number of baby boomers reporting disabilities of all types, 17.3 million, is nearly as large as the 65-and-older disabled population, at 18.1 million.
But the problem isn't just one of aging, as 11 percent of those 18 to 44 years old and 23.9 percent of those 45 to 64 years old reported a disability, according to the CDC.
"The issue for us is to see if we can prevent the disability from the most common arthritis, which is osteoarthritis, or slow it down," said Sue Nesci, chief public health and policy officer for the Arthritis Foundation's local chapter.
She said that in 2005, 680,000 adults in Connecticut had doctor-diagnosed arthritis. By 2030, that number may be 731,000, she said. "Knee osteoarthritis is probably the one that's going to push those numbers higher, as far as the projections," Nesci said. Aside from the pain and limited lifestyle that come with arthritis, there's a huge price. The CDC says it costs sufferers $81 billion for health care and $47 billion in lost earnings each year. And it's not that simple to fix an arthritic knee, much less stiff and aching fingers. "Not a lot of orthopedic surgeons are going into joint replacements ... and there's a concern that in the future there won't be enough orthopedic surgeons," Nesci said. And while women are more susceptible to the disease -- which can be inherited or caused by injury or repeated stress on the joints -- men are less likely to see a doctor and get treatment. The way to avoid these problems is to exercise, lose weight and go to the doctor when your joints start to hurt, Nesci said. "If boomers now lose just as little as 10 pounds, it would reduce their risk for developing osteoarthritis in the future (by) half." She pointed out that arthritis hinders sufferers from the most basic activities: the two that cause the most trouble for the disabled are walking three blocks and climbing a flight of stairs. Barbato said she's learned several techniques from the foundation's classes to adapt to her limitations, such as the proper way to get out of a chair. Because she took care of herself, she was able to assist her late husband, who used a wheelchair. She was his sole caregiver in his last years. The only medication she takes for her arthritis is Aleve, she said. Barbato went to Washington to help persuade Congress to increase funds for the CDC's arthritis program from $13 million to $23 million in order to bring more programs to more people. Now, just 12 states have adequate money for arthritis prevention and management, the foundation said. Dr. John H. Klippel, president and CEO of the Arthritis Foundation, said it would be money well spent. "We know that workers diagnosed with arthritis leave their jobs earlier than those without arthritis," he said in Washington. "Given the recession, any viable health care reform platform must ensure that our valuable workers stay healthy and stay on the job." For more information, call the foundation at (800) 541-8350, e-mail info.sne@arthritis.org or visit www.arthritis.org.
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