The cost of arthritis in Canada is estimated at $4.4 billion each year.
Musculoskeletal (MSK) diseases, including
arthritis, is the second most expensive disease category in Canada, second
only to cardiovascular disease, and ahead of
cancer. At $4.4 billion,
arthritis-related costs accounted for one quarter of the amount Canadians
spent on MSK diseases in 1998.
The direct costs of arthritis—such as expenditures on hospital stays,
physician services and medications—added up to $908.9 million, or 20% of
total costs. Indirect costs
—including those related to lost
productivity due to long and short-term disability— totaled $3.5 billion
for arthritis alone.
A staggering 76% of arthritis costs in Canada are due to lost productivity and long-term disability.
