Understanding the Disproportionate Burden of Rheumatic Diseases in Indigenous North American Populations

Studies have described a high incidence and prevalence of several rheumatic diseases in indigenous North American populations. Conditions studied most frequently with consistently high burden of disease include rheumatoid arthritis, spondyloarthritis, and systemic lupus erythematosus. Crystal-induced arthritis has been reported to have a lower prevalence than expected. Information about genetic and environmental risk factors is available for some of these conditions. An awareness of the epidemiology of rheumatic diseases in indigenous North American populations is important for clinicians involved in caring for patients in these populations as well as for planning health service delivery in these communities.