[Epidemiology of the treatment of patients with chronic polyarthritis in Hannover]

Between 1984 and 1988 a community-based study of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) was undertaken in Hannover (Federal Republic of Germany) to determine patient characteristics and the patterns of antirheumatic treatment. Among 8044 randomly chosen German residents aged 25 to 74 years, we identified 45 persons suffering from RA; minimal prevalence 0.56% +/- 0.19%. Of these 45 RA-suffers only seven (16%) had consulted a rheumatologist (internist) "during the past 12 months". Only four (9%) persons were currently being treated with remission-inducing drugs (RIDs), e.g., chloroquine, gold. We could also ascertain low rates of physiotherapeutic treatment; "during the past 12 months" seven persons (16%) had received remedial gymnastics, one (2%) had received local application of cold. Our findings indicate that the treatment of RA in the population of Hannover is insufficient.