Nearly Half of Adults With Arthritis Have Arthritis-Attributable Activity Limitations

THURSDAY, Jan. 29, 2026 (HealthDay News) — Nearly half of U.S. adults with doctor-diagnosed arthritis report activity limitations due to arthritis, according to a study published online Dec. 15 in Arthritis Care & Research.

Ellen W. Stowe, Ph.D., from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, and colleagues estimated the 2023 prevalence of arthritis-attributable activity limitations (AAAL) among U.S. adults (aged 64 years and younger) with arthritis. The analysis included data from the 2019 and 2023 National Health Interview Survey.

The researchers found that during 2023, an estimated 24.8 million adults with arthritis reported having an activity limitation (age-adjusted prevalence, 47.8 percent). By sociodemographic and health characteristics, there were significant differences in age-adjusted AAAL prevalence. While not statistically significant, there was a decline in the estimated age-adjusted prevalence of AAAL from 2019 (49.2 percent) to 2023.

“Among respondents, 68 percent of people who had difficulty climbing stairs, walking, or other mobility problems reported greater work limitations due to arthritis. We found that people with heart disease, stroke, or cancer, as well as those reporting anxiety or depression, faced a significantly higher risk of such limitations,” coauthor Daniel White, also from the CDC, said in a statement. “Arthritis is commonly misunderstood as a disease of aging that”s just something people have to deal with. But it”s incredibly treatable.”

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