Hand handicap and rheumatoid arthritis in a fish‐eating society (the Faroe Islands)
Abstract. In the county of Klaksvik, the Faroes, a simple hand test was used for screening all inhabitants between the ages of 40 and 74 years. With its high sensitivity and specificity it revealed a diagnostic panorama entirely different from that seen in previous investigations in other nordic cou...
| Published in: | Journal of Internal Medicine |
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| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
| Format: | Article in Journal/Newspaper |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Wiley
1990
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| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2796.1990.tb00118.x https://api.wiley.com/onlinelibrary/tdm/v1/articles/10.1111%2Fj.1365-2796.1990.tb00118.x https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/j.1365-2796.1990.tb00118.x |
| Summary: | Abstract. In the county of Klaksvik, the Faroes, a simple hand test was used for screening all inhabitants between the ages of 40 and 74 years. With its high sensitivity and specificity it revealed a diagnostic panorama entirely different from that seen in previous investigations in other nordic countries. In Klaksvik the prevalence of hand handicap was about 40%, which is due to the high incidence of osteoarthrosis. The prevalence of rheumatoid arthritis was 1.1%. The high functional capacity and the lower occurrence of rheumatic nodules and erosions found in the patients with rheumatoid arthritis as compared with previous studies suggest that the disease takes a milder course in Klaksvik. This should support the hypothesis that RA patients benefit from a diet rich in fish. |
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