Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a systemic autoimmune disease characterized by inflammatory arthritis and extra-articular involvement. It is a chronic inflammatory disorder often caused by a combination of genetic and environmental factors, including tobacco, that primarily affects synovial joints.
Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disease. Normally, your immune system helps protect your body from infection and disease. However, in rheumatoid arthritis, your immune system attacks healthy tissue in your joints. This can lead to problems with your heart, lungs, nerves, eyes, and skin.
Additionally, rheumatoid arthritis can cause excessive fatigue. While it can affect people of any age, it is more common in those over 40 and is more prevalent in women than in men. It is important to recognize that children and young adults can also be affected by rheumatoid arthritis.
Types of arthritis vary, but rheumatoid arthritis, or RA, is a chronic autoimmune disease involving inflammation in joints and other body parts. While there is currently no cure for RA, effective treatments are available to manage symptoms. Inflammation in RA causes pain, stiffness, and swelling in and around joints.
Symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis are typically more severe than those of osteoarthritis. The condition is a systemic and chronic inflammatory state caused by an autoimmune response to an environmental trigger. Endothelial cell activation and synovial cell hyperplasia precede the degradation of cartilage and bone.
The exact causes of RA are not fully understood. However, a toxic chemical or infection in your environment can increase your odds. Gender also plays a role, as RA is more common in women than in men, particularly in those who’ve never been pregnant and in those who have had pregnancies.
Rheumatoid arthritis, a chronic inflammatory disorder, causes swelling, bone erosion, and joint deformity. Bone erosion in RA-affected joints arises from the disease process itself.
For more detailed information, visit the following resources:
StatPearls – NCBI Bookshelf
Mayo Clinic
NHS
Arthritis Foundation
Arthritis – StatPearls
Healthline
WebMD
ResearchGate
