Incidence and prevalence of juvenile idiopathic arthritis in the United Kingdom, 2000–2018: results from the Clinical Practice Research Datalink

OBJECTIVE: The incidence and prevalence of JIA was last estimated in the UK in 1994. Since then the disease has been reclassified, the specialty of paediatric rheumatology has evolved and there has been a significant shift in disease management with new advanced therapies. This study aimed to provide up-to-date national estimates of this disease. METHODS: Children and young people (CYP) with JIA were identified in the Clinical Practice Research Datalink (CPRD) GOLD and Aurum databases, which source data from the two most commonly used primary care electronic health record systems in the UK. These databases were combined and the cohort was identified (2000–18) using predefined code lists. Validation was performed through linkage to the England Hospital Episode Statistics. Annual incidence and prevalence rates were calculated and stratified by gender, age group and nation of the UK. Direct standardization to the UK population was performed and 5 year incidence rates were calculated between 2003 and 2018. RESULTS: The age-standardized incidence rate was 5.61 per 100 000 population. The age-standardized prevalence rate in 2018 was 43.5 per 100 000. Rates were higher in Scotland compared with England: incidence rate ratio 1.27 (95% CI 1.11, 1.46). The 5 year incidence rates did not change significantly over time. CONCLUSIONS: This study has provided the first contemporaneous estimates of occurrence of JIA in the UK in 25 years. These data provide important estimates to inform resource allocation and health service development for management of JIA.