OBJECTIVES : Rheumatoid arthritis has a negative impact on patients’ lives not only from a physical but also from a psychological, social and economic aspect as well. Reduced ability to work inevitably leads to loss of income, thus, posing a burden on both the individual and society. The aim of our study was to determine the epidemiological disease burden of rheumatoid arthritis.

METHODS : Data were derived from the financial database of the Hungarian National Health Insurance Fund Administration (NHIFA), for the year 2018. Data analysed included annual patient numbers, case numbers and prevalence of care utilisation per 100,000 population according to age groups and sex. The following health insurance treatment categories were included into our study: general practice care, home care, in- and outpatient care, medical imaging, laboratory diagnostics, drugs and medical aids. Patients with rheumatoid arthritis were identified with the following code of the International Classification of Diseases 10^th revision: M0690.

RESULTS : The highest national patient numbers were in general practice care: 8,075 men, 27,282 women, in total 35,357 patients, followed by use of pharmaceuticals (7,015 men, 23,696 women, in total 30,711 patients), and outpatient care (5,729 men, 24,122 women, in total 29,851patients). Based on patient numbers in general practice care, prevalence in 100,000 among men was 172.9 patients, among women 534.2, in total 361.6 patients. Regarding sex, in general practice care 22.8 % of patients were men, 77.2 % were women, while regarding the use of pharmaceuticals 22.8 % of patients were men and 77.2 % were women.

CONCLUSIONS : Prevalence of the disease was 3.09-times higher among women than among men. Controlled, timely therapy of rheumatoid arthritis may decrease the total disease burden for the patient and for the health insurance system as well.