Any Other Oklahoma "Weggies" Out There?

[TOBEY32]

Sometimes I feel I'm the only one in this state, and yet I know that can't be.

David

[pberggren1]

What is the population of OK?

There are about 1 million in SK so I would think there would be about 200 Weggies here.

[TOBEY32]

pberggren1,
I know of some people in OKC. Learned of them through the Vasculitis Foundation. Have talked w/ them each once by phone. Sounds like more/better docs may be available there.
Oklahoma's population is approx 2 million+.

[pberggren1]

There are probably about 400 Weggies in OK then.

[Al]

Interesting issue, David. The official rate of WG depends on who the official is, but the number 20 in a million does sit in about the middle of the estimates. There are a couple of notes to this, however. One: There are several other closely related diseases that are sometimes lumped together with WG--and sometimes not. I would, for statistical purposes, put all ANCA associated vasculitides (AAVs) inot a single category, as the presentations overlap, and the treatments are the same. This would bump the expected frequency up, to around 40 per million. Even this may be too low in actuality, however. My own guess is that WG (and other AAVs) are severely under-diagnosed, especially in sparsely populated areas where doctors rarely see patients with them. Indeed, many doctors would never consider such a diagnosis. This, I think, is less the case in larger cities, especially those that are homes to major research institutions. As you have noticed, David, OKC seems to have more vasculitis sufferers. This may be, in part, because of its proximity to the U of O. (Also, it is a major population center.)

Al

[pberggren1]

In my city of about 15,000 I know there are at least 3 other Weggies and at least 2 others within a 30 minute drive from here.

[drz]

In my city of about 15,000 I know there are at least 3 other Weggies and at least 2 others within a 30 minute drive from here.

If I just take the number of cases I know of in our town and I doubt i know all of them, our town ratio is one case in 2000 people so I am also thinking a ratio for our state might be more like 1 in 5000 people. It does seem more prevalent in northern climes north of equator and the reverse in southern hemisphere.