Experts highlighted the importance of that strategy, since rheumatism is one of the most common diseases in the world, affecting one out of ten people.

Rheumatism affect joints, muscles and connective tissue, and its main symptoms are pain and rigidity of the locomotive apparatus. It is among the ten major causes of disability in highly-developed countries, as well as in Cuba.

According to a research carried out from 2002 to 2004 among 3,000 patients from Havana, 43 percent of them suffered from some form of rheumatic disease.

Osteoarthritis was the most common disease, found in 20.4 percent of patients, while rheumatoid arthritis was found in 1.24 percent.

In that regard, the experts noted the existence of risk factors that can be prevented by changing the patients' lifestyle.

By: Dtcuba