The increased life expectancy recorded in recent decades, together with changes in lifestyle and diet, have lead to a rise in noncommunicable diseases, also in the developing countries. The epidemiological transition, with its double burden of infectious and noncommunicable diseases, means that many developing countries now struggle with a range and volume of disease for which they are not prepared. While the diseases which kill take much of the public attention, musculoskeletal or rheumatic diseases are the major cause of morbidity throughout the world. These diseases have a substantial influence on health and quality of life, and they inflict an enormous cost on health systems. Rheumatic diseases include more than 150 different diseases and syndromes, with the common denominators of pain and inflammation.
Rheumatic diseases are a serious disease burden.
An estimated 1.7 million hip fractures only occurred in 1990 throughout the world. This number is expected to exceed 6 million by 2050. Osteoporotic fractures account for most of the morbidity, mortality and costs of the disease. Surveys involving several developing countries, such as Brazil, Chile, China, Pakistan, the Philippines, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Mexico and Thailand provided valuable information on the magnitude of the problem. It showed that the burden of rheumatic diseases is practically equal to that in the industrialized world.