Epidemiology of the Rheumatic Diseases

This major reference work is the first comprehensive text to review indetail the data currently available on the epidemiology of the main rheumaticand muscoskeletal diseases. The problems of disease definition and criteria areconsidered with data on the occurrence of these diseases, both prevalence andincidence, and their variation with age, sex, geographical area, ethnic group,and trends over time. The results of epidemiological investigations,looking atboth genetic and environmental risk factors, are considered and the impact ofspecific diseases of survival is also considered. Covering 15 disease areas frominflammatory joint disease and connective tissue disease to degenerative jointdisease and non articular conditions, such as low back pain and carpel tunnelsyndrome, this is the only text available which offers full coverage of thesubject with a truly international perspective.