Economic Burden of Rheumatoid Arthritis In Iran: A Societal Perspective Economic Burden of R.A.

Background: Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a progressive, chronic systemic inflammatory disease and impose a significant economic burden on patients and societies if not controlled. This study aimed to determine the economic burden of RA in southern Iran in 2019. Methods: This economic burden study was carried out as cross-sectional research in 2019 in southern Iran, in which 765 patients were included. The prevalence-based and bottom-up approaches were also used to prepare the cost information and calculate the costs, respectively. The human capital approach was used to calculate the indirect costs as well. Results: The results showed that the economic burden of RA in Iran was $ 3,744,967,993 PPP in 2019. In addition, the mean annual costs of RA per patient in remission, low, and moderate-to severe states and the total cost were $ 11,925.98, $ 11,887.49, $ 12,803.45, and $ 12,155.08 PPP, respectively in 2019. Conclusions: RA imposed a significant economic burden on the community and patients, and DMC, especially the cost of drugs, were the most important component. It is suggested to provide necessary facilities to produce RA drugs in the country and expand home care services in order to reduce the economic burden.