Rheumatoid arthritis

Rheumatoid arthritis: Introduction

Rheumatoid arthritis is an ongoing, progressive disease that affects the joints of the body with episodes of painful, even disabling inflammation. Rheumatoid arthritis also affects other organs of the body and can result in the destruction of joints, and in severe cases, life threatening complications. The way that the disease affects people varies greatly from person to person, but generally affects wrists, fingers, knees, feet, and ankles on both sides of the body. The exact cause of rheumatoid arthritis is not known, but it is classified as an autoimmune disease. In an autoimmune disease, the body's immune system mistakes healthy tissues as foreign and potentially dangerous invaders into the body and attacks them, resulting in inflammation that eventually can destroy the affected joints and damage to blood vessels and organs. Rheumatoid arthritis is caused by a different disease process than osteoarthritis. In osteoarthritis, joint pain and damage is due to injury and wear and tear and there is no underlying generalized inflammatory process in the body. The onset of rheumatoid arthritis can occur at any age and affects women more than men.

Rheumatoid arthritis can be mild, moderate, or severe. However, no matter what the age of the person or severity, rheumatoid arthritis may seriously impede a person's ability to work and participate in other activities of daily living. In general, the younger a person is when he or she develops rheumatoid arthritis, the more rapidly that disease progresses. About 10% of people with the disease become severely disabled. In addition, life expectancy may be shortened by about 3 to 7 years, and those with severe forms of rheumatic arthritis may die 10-15 years earlier than expected due to possible life threatening complications, according to the National Institutes of Health. The good news is that overall, severe disabilities and life-threatening complications due to rheumatic arthritis may be decreasing due to progress in research and treatments.

Symptoms of Rheumatoid arthritis

• Joint pain
• Joint swelling
• Joint stiffness
• Morning joint stiffness
• Joint stiffness after inactivity
• more symptoms...»

See full list of 29 symptoms of Rheumatoid arthritis

Rheumatoid arthritis: Complications

Review possible medical complications related to Rheumatoid arthritis:

• Chronic joint pain
• Joint deformity
• Anemia
• Blood vessel inflammation
• Lung lining inflammation (see Lung symptoms)
• Heart sac inflammation (see Heart symptoms)
• more complications...»

Medical Textbooks Online about Rheumatoid arthritis

Book excerpts: Copyright © 2008 Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. All rights reserved.

Diagnostic Tests for Rheumatoid arthritis

• Physical exam
• Rheumatoid factor blood test - an antibody test
• Erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR)
• CBC
• White blood cell count
• more tests...»

See full list of 7 diagnostic tests for Rheumatoid arthritis

Wrongly Diagnosed with Rheumatoid arthritis?

• Misdiagnosis of Rheumatoid arthritis
• Failure to diagnose Rheumatoid arthritis
• Hidden causes of Rheumatoid arthritis (possibly wrongly diagnosed)
• Undiagnosed: Rheumatoid arthritis

Rheumatoid arthritis: Marketplace Products, Discounts & Offers

Products, offers and promotion categories available for Rheumatoid arthritis:

• Pain
• Arthritis & Pain
• Senior Health
• more product offers...»

Rheumatoid arthritis: Undiagnosed Conditions

Commonly undiagnosed diseases in related medical categories:

• Chronic Major Diseases that are commonly Undiagnosed:
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  • Hemochromatosis -- Undiagnosed
  • Metabolic Syndrome -- Undiagnosed
• more undiagnosed conditions...»

Misdiagnosis and Rheumatoid arthritis

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Alzheimer's disease over-diagnosed: The well-known disease of Alzheimer's disease is often over-diagnosed. Patients tend to assume that any memory loss or forgetulness symptom might be Alzheimer's, whereas there are many...read more »

Dementia may be a drug interaction: A common scenario in aged care is for a patient to show mental decline to dementia. Whereas this can, of course, occur due to various medical conditions, such as a stroke or ...read more »

Tremor need not be Parkinson's disease: There is the tendency to believe that any tremor symptom, or shakiness, means Parkinson's disease. The reality is that there are various possibilities, such as benign...read more »

Rare diseases misdiagnosed as Parkinson's disease: A rare genetic disorder is often misdiagnosed as Parkinson's disease for men in their 50's. The disease Fragile X disorder can show only mild symptoms in the early years, and...read more »

Psoriatic arthritis often undiagnosed cause of joint conditions: Patients with the skin condition psoriasis can also have the related arthritis subtype called "psoriatic arthritis". This arthritic condition tends to be overlooked, even in...read more »

Adhesive capsulitis: Adhesive capsulitis is an acute inflammation affecting the gleno humeral joint which becomes fibrotic and contracted. It can arise spontaneously or after an injury. It is...read more »

Read more about Misdiagnosis and Rheumatoid arthritis

Rheumatoid arthritis: Research Doctors & Specialists

Research related physicians and medical specialists:

• Bone, Joint and Orthopedic Specialists:
  • Orthopedic Surgery
  • Neuromusculoskeletal Medicine
  • Rheumatology (Arthritis / Joint Pain)
• Arthritis & Joint Health Specialists (Rheumatology):
  • Rheumatology (Joint Health)
  • Pediatric Rheumatology (Child Joint Health)
• Senior Health Specialists (Geriatrics):
  • Geriatric Medicine (Senior Health Specialist)
  • Geriatric Psychiatry (Senior Mental Health)
• more specialists...»

Other doctor, physician and specialist research services:

• Rate Your Doctor Online
• Research Your Doctor Online
• Review Patient Surveys About Your Doctor
• Research local specialists including ratings, affiliations, and sanctions.

Hospitals & Clinics: Rheumatoid arthritis

Research quality ratings and patient safety measures for medical facilities in specialties related to Rheumatoid arthritis:

• Senior Health -- Hospital Quality Ratings
• Nursing Homes & Aged Care Facilities -- Quality Ratings
• more hospital ratings...»

Hospital & Clinic quality ratings » »

Choosing the Best Hospital: More general information, not necessarily in relation to Rheumatoid arthritis, on hospital performance and surgical care quality:

• 50 Best Hospitals Report
• Outstanding Patient Experinece Award Winning Hospitals
• Women's Health Best Hospitals
• Patient Safety
• Hospital Quality and Clinical Excellence Study (2009)

Rheumatoid arthritis: Rare Types

Rare types of diseases and disorders in related medical categories:

• Chronic Major Diseases -- Rare Types:
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  • Heart Disease -- Rare Types
  • Cancer -- Rare Types
  • Depression -- Rare Types
  • Type 2 Diabetes -- Rare Types
  • Type 1 Diabetes -- Rare Types
  • Hypertension -- Rare Types
  • Hemochromatosis -- Rare Types
  • Metabolic Syndrome -- Rare Types
• more rare diseases...»

Causes of Rheumatoid arthritis

Read more about causes of Rheumatoid arthritis.

More information about causes of Rheumatoid arthritis:

• Medications, drugs, or substances causing Rheumatoid arthritis (6 listings)
• Rheumatoid arthritis as a complication caused by other conditions
• Rheumatoid arthritis as a symptom
• Medical news summaries relating to Causes of Rheumatoid arthritis

Treatments for Rheumatoid arthritis

• Pain relief
• NSAIDs
  • Aspirin - though not recommended for children due to side effects and the risk of Reye's syndrome.
  • Salicylate medications
  • Buffered aspirin
• more treatments...»

See full list of 55 treatments for Rheumatoid arthritis

News Archives for Rheumatoid arthritis

Medical news articles related to Rheumatoid arthritis include:

• High Birth Weight Doubles Risk of Rheumatoid Arthritis
• Drugs Can Ease Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis
• Body Fat, Muscle Distribution Linked to RA Disability
• RA Drugs Linked to Slight Skin Cancer Risk
• Rheumatoid Arthritis Drug Might Fight Swine Flu
• Cimzia Approved for Rheumatoid Arthritis
• Living Near Major Road May Boost Rheumatoid Arthritis Risk
• more health news...»

Source: HealthDay News

Evidence Based Medicine Research for Rheumatoid arthritis

Medical research articles related to Rheumatoid arthritis include:

• Rheumatoid arthritis: the management of rheumatoid arthritis in adults
• Risk of serious infections during rituximab, abatacept and anakinra treatments for rheumatoid arthritis: meta-analyses of randomised placebo-controlled trials
• Risk of herpes zoster in patients with rheumatoid arthritis treated with anti-TNF-alpha agents.
• Dietary interventions for rheumatoid arthritis
• Rheumatoid arthritis.
• Anakinra for rheumatoid arthritis
• more research...»

Click here to find more evidence-based articles on the TRIP Database

Videos for Rheumatoid arthritis

Patient Surveys for Rheumatoid arthritis

• Patient Profile Survey
  Take Survey  View Results
• Survey about the symptoms of your Rheumatoid arthritis
  Take Survey  View Results

Prognosis for Rheumatoid arthritis

Prognosis for Rheumatoid arthritis: Normal lifespan typical. At least 70% lead an active normal life (usually with medications).

More about prognosis of Rheumatoid arthritis

Reseach about Rheumatoid arthritis

Visit our research pages for current research about Rheumatoid arthritis treatments.

Clinical Trials for Rheumatoid arthritis

The US based website ClinicalTrials.gov lists information on both federally and privately supported clinical trials using human volunteers.

Some of the clinical trials listed on ClinicalTrials.gov for Rheumatoid arthritis include:

• Autologous Peripheral Blood Stem Cell Transplantation in Patients With Life Threatening Autoimmune Diseases - This study is no longer recruiting patients (Current: 23 Nov 2006) - anti-thymocyte globulin,cyclophosphamide,cyclosporine,filgrastim,methylprednisolone,prednisone
• Study of High-Dose Cyclophosphamide and Anti-Thymocyte Globulin With T-Cell-Depleted Autologous Bone Marrow Rescue in Patients With High-Risk Rheumatoid Arthritis - This study is no longer recruiting patients (Current: 23 Nov 2006) - anti-thymocyte globulin,cyclophosphamide,filgrastim
• A Phase 2 Study to Evaluate the Safety, Tolerability, and Activity of Fontolizumab in Subjects With Active Rheumatoid Arthritis - This study is currently recruiting patients (Current: 23 Nov 2006) - Fontolizumab
• Study of Gammalinolenic Acid for Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis - This study has been completed (Current: 23 Nov 2006) - gamma-Linolenic acid
• Pilot Study of Total Body Irradiation in Combination With Cyclophosphamide, Anti-Thymocyte Globulin, and Autologous CD34-Selected Peripheral Blood Stem Cell Transplantation in Children With Refractory Autoimmune Disorders - This study is currently recruiting patients (Current: 23 Nov 2006) - anti-thymocyte globulin,cyclophosphamide,filgrastim
• more trials...»

See full list of 327 Clinical Trials for Rheumatoid arthritis

Statistics for Rheumatoid arthritis

• Medical statistics for Rheumatoid arthritis
• Prevalence and incidence statistics for Rheumatoid arthritis
• Death and Mortality statistics for Rheumatoid arthritis
• Society statistics for Rheumatoid arthritis

Rheumatoid arthritis: Broader Related Topics

• Autoimmune diseases
• Rheumatic conditions
• Shoulder conditions
• Arthritis
• more types...»

Types of Rheumatoid arthritis

Types of Rheumatoid arthritis

• Juvenile rheumatoid arthritis (JRA) - when RA occurs in those under 16
• Pauciarticular JRA - most common form of JRA (about 50%); involving 4 or less joints; usually large joints (e.g. knees); most commonly found in girls under 8.
• Polyarticular JRA - about 30% of JRA cases; more than 4 joints; often small joints; often symmetrical.
• Systemic JRA - about 20% of JRA; also called Still's disease;
• more types...»

Read more about Types of Rheumatoid arthritis

Curable Types of Rheumatoid arthritis

Possibly curable types of Rheumatoid arthritis include:

• Polyarteritis nodosa
• Whipple disease
• SLE
• Polymyalgia rheumatica
• Myopathies
• Myocarditis related arthritis
• more types...»

Rare Types of Rheumatoid arthritis:

Rare types of Rheumatoid arthritis include:

• Amyloidosis
• Polyarteritis nodosa
• Whipple disease
• Paraneoplastic syndrome
• SLE
• Polymyalgia rheumatica
• more types...»

Stories from Users Related to Rheumatoid arthritis

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• Perthes Disease in adults - Please help!
• Joint paint all over --tested negative for Rheumatoid Arthritis
• Does Rheumatoid arthritis cause inflamation?
• Wrist and Ankle Pain in 36 y.o. Male: Does this sound like Rheumatoid Arthritis?
• from tendinitis to arthritis to sleep disorder..?
• Rheumatoid arthritis and parvo virus
• Too young for Rheumotoid Arthritis??
• Rheumatoid Arthritis?
• RA, fibromyalgia? what do you think?
• RA or Lupus?
• Adult Chicken Pox
• What type of arthritis is this? More than Osteo?
• Dr. says he cured my rheumatoid
• My sister may have Rheumatoid Arthritis...

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User Interactive Forums

Read about other experiences, ask a question about Rheumatoid arthritis, or answer someone else's question, on our message boards:

• I can not get a diagnosis. Please help.
• Tell us your medical story.
• Share your misdiagnosis story.
• What is the best treatment for this?
• See all the forums.

Article Excerpts about Rheumatoid arthritis

Handout on Health Rheumatoid Arthritis: NIAMS (Excerpt)

Rheumatoid arthritis is an inflammatory disease that causes pain, swelling, stiffness, and loss of function in the joints. It has several special features that make it different from other kinds of arthritis (see information box below). For example, rheumatoid arthritis generally occurs in a symmetrical pattern. This means that if one knee or hand is involved, the other one is also. The disease often affects the wrist joints and the finger joints closest to the hand. It can also affect other parts of the body besides the joints (see illustrations below). In addition, people with the disease may have fatigue, occasional fever, and a general sense of not feeling well (malaise). (Source: excerpt from Handout on Health Rheumatoid Arthritis: NIAMS)

Connective Tissue Diseases: NWHIC (Excerpt)

Rheumatoid arthritis is a systemic disorder in which immune cells attack and inflame the membrane around joints. It also can affect the heart, lungs, and eyes. Of the estimated 2.1 million Americans with rheumatoid arthritis, approximately 1.5 million (71 percent) are women. (Source: excerpt from Connective Tissue Diseases: NWHIC)

Definitions of Rheumatoid arthritis:

Chronic systemic disease, primarily of the joints, marked by inflammatory changes in the synovial membranes and articular structures, widespread fibrinoid degeneration of the collagen fibers in mesenchymal tissues, and by atrophy and rarefaction of bony structures; etiology is unknown, but autoimmune mechanisms have been implicated. - (Source - Diseases Database)

A chronic autoimmune disease with inflammation of the joints and marked deformities; something (possibly a virus) triggers an attack on the synovium by the immune system, which releases cytokines that stimulate an inflammatory reaction that can lead to the destruction of all components of the joint - (Source - WordNet 2.1)