Sarcoidosis epidemiology: recent estimates of incidence, prevalence and risk factors.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: The aim of this review is to describe the latest studies on sarcoidosis incidence, prevalence and risk factors with a special focus on reports in the last 2 years. The potential biases affecting these studies are discussed.

RECENT FINDINGS: The prevalence and incidence of sarcoidosis vary greatly depending on region of the world. Variations in data sources and settings can affect estimates of the burden of sarcoidosis, sometimes making them difficult to compare across countries. It is not well understood how the distribution of sarcoidosis phenotypes differs across populations. Age, sex and race are the most important sources of variation in incidence and prevalence. Recent epidemiological studies provide new insights on the role of genetic and nongenetic risk factors for sarcoidosis.

SUMMARY: High-quality and systematically collected data, with depth (detailed information per individual) and breadth (many individuals), is needed to further understand the complexity and heterogeneity of sarcoidosis.