Epidemiology
Takayasu arteritis is a rare disease. The reported incidence in the US is 2.6 cases per million population per year in Olmsted County, Minnesota, and in Sweden the incidence has been estimated to be 1.2 cases per million population per year.[7][11] The incidence of Takayasu arteritis in Latin America is reported to be similar at about 0.9 cases per million per year.[12] These figures are likely to underestimate the true prevalence of the disease. Autopsy studies in Japan suggest a higher incidence, with evidence of Takayasu arteritis in 1 in every 3000 autopsies.[13] In one systematic review and meta-analysis of worldwide data, incidence was calculated to be about 1.1 per million-person years.[14]
Its distribution is worldwide, although most cases are reported in Asian populations. Although Takayasu arteritis is often thought of as a disease of young women, the disease has variable sex predilection, with women in Japan affected about 8 times more frequently than men, whereas in India men and women are equally represented.[6] The peak incidence is usually in the third decade of life, although among Japanese individuals it typically presents between the ages of 15 and 25 years. In Europeans the mean age at diagnosis is 41 years.[2]
Disease expression varies in different populations. Compared with Japanese patients, patients in the US are more likely to have constitutional (43% in the US versus 27% in Japan) and musculoskeletal symptoms (53% in the US versus 6% in Japan), claudication (90% in the US versus 13% in Japan), and visual changes (30% in the US versus 6% in Japan).[2]
Use of this content is subject to our disclaimer