Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic autoimmune disease in which your body attacks the tissues of your joints, causing swelling and inflammation. Often this will impair joint function to the point of affecting an individual’s quality of life (Sparks 2019). Globally, there are an estimated 18.5 million people affected by this disease, with an increase 1.4-fold by 2040 (Shi et al. 2023).
Cause and Risk Factors:
Unfortunately, we are not entirely sure what causes the onset of RA, but left untreated it can destroy the joints it affects. According to the CDC (2024), there are a combination of genetic and environmental factors that can increase the risk of developing RA. Increased risk is associated with aging, being assigned female at birth, smoking, obesity, and certain genes known as HLA (human leukocyte antigen) class II genotypes.
Management:
There are several ways to manage RA. Physical activity, quitting smoking, and maintaining healthy weight are some examples of lifestyle choices (CDC 2024). However, it is sometimes necessary to use medications such as NSAIDS and glucocorticoids are to control pain, along with more specific disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs) to reduce further symptoms (Abbasi et al. 2019).
References:
Abbasi M, Mousavi MJ, Jamalzehi S, Alimohammadi R, Bezvan MH, Mohammadi H, Aslani S. 2019. Strategies toward rheumatoid arthritis therapy; the old and the new. J Cell Physiol. 234(7):10018–10031. doi:10.1002/jcp.27860.
Rheumatoid arthritis. Cdc.gov. 2024 Apr 18 [accessed 2024 May 31]. https://www.cdc.gov/arthritis/types/rheumatoid-arthritis.html
Shi G, Liao X, Lin Z, Liu W, Luo X, Zhan H, Cai X. 2023. Estimation of the global prevalence, incidence, years lived with disability of rheumatoid arthritis in 2019 and forecasted incidence in 2040: results from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019. Clin Rheumatol. 42(9):2297–2309. doi:10.1007/s10067-023-06628-2.
Sparks JA. 2019. Rheumatoid Arthritis. Ann Intern Med. 170(1):ITC1–ITC16. doi:10.7326/AITC201901010. Assessed and Endorsed by the MedReport Medical Review Board