Arthritis: America's No. 1 Disability

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.