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Rheumatoid Arthritis Information
| ♦ General description of the disease
Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune inflammatory systemic disease that causes chronic inflammation of the joints. It leads to an inflammatory synovitis that generally causes destruction of the articular cartilage and ankylosis of the joints.
The disease often begins between the ages of 40 and 50, but it can affect people of any age. It is a disabling and painful condition, which may progress to an important loss of activity and mobility. ♦ Symptoms The inflammation of rheumatoid arthritis causes joint pain, swelling, warmth, redness, and stiffness. Other symptoms can be: overall stiffness in the morning and after inactivity, fatigue, generally feeling unwell (malaise, flu-like symptoms), loss of appetite, anemia, painless growths under the skin near the joints. ♦ Cause(s) The precise cause(s) of the disease is(are) still unknown. Scientists propose different hypothesis which include: the interaction between environmental factors and a genetically predisposition, infections by bacteria, virus or fungi. ♦ Treatments Common treatments aim to reduce inflammation, pain: Disease-Modifying Anti-Rheumatic Drugs (DMARDs: azathioprine, cyclosporine A, gold salts, methotrexate), biological agents (anti-TNFs, Il-1 blockers…), anti-inflammatory agents (glucocorticoids) and analgesics (NSAIDs, paracetamol, opiates).
♦ Epidemiology
Rheumatoid Arthritis occurs worldwide, striking three times more females than males.
This disease affects more than 7 million people in the United States alone.
The prevalence is about 2.5 million Americans (NWHIC); 1% of US population (NIAMS).
Bibliography
♦ http://www.medicinenet.com/rheumatoid_arthritis/article.htm
♦ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rheumatoid_arthritis
♦ http://www.wrongdiagnosis.com/r/rheumatoid_arthritis/book-diseases-7c.htm
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