Rheumatic disease in elderly population, how different from the conventional presentations?

The number of elders suffering from chronic debilitating disorders increases with increase in lifespan.2 Rheumatic musculoskeletal problems are a major cause of morbidity in elderly population. The prevalence of musculoskeletal problems reported in a study in elderly population from rural and urban areas of north India was 65.7% in males and 75.4% in females.3 The rheumatic diseases in elderly can be broadly divided into two (table 1). Rheumatic diseases in elderly can also have an early onset with major clinical impact.