| Associated Conditions: MAIN MENU | |
|
| Autoimmune Diseases: Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) | | This page was written by Shelley Ensz, and has not yet been medically edited. See Disclaimer. | | | |
| Overview of Rheumatoid Arthritis |
| Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic autoimmune disease that primarily affects the joints. However, it may also cause anemia, eye inflammation, heart attacks, heart failure, myocarditis, pericarditis, pleurisy, vasculitis, shortness of breath, skin ulcers, stomach ulcers, strokes, and neuropathies (numbness and tingling). |
| Rheumatoid Arthritis MedicineNet. |
| Mortality and Predictors of Mortality in Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) - A Role for Mannose-binding Lectin (MBL)? In our cohort, states of high MBL production and several previously reported factors contributed significantly to this increased risk of overall death and cardiovascular death in patients with RA. L. Troelsen. Journal of Rheumatology. January 28 2010. |
| Morning stiffness and its influence on early retirement in patients with recent onset rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Severe morning stiffness in the early course of the disease has a high impact on RA patients’ decision to withdraw from working life. G. Westhoff. Rheumatology Access Online. April 15, 2008. (Also See: Disability) |
| Symptoms of Rheumatoid Arthritis |
|
|
| Causes of Rheumatoid Arthritis |
| |
| Diagnosis of Rheumatoid Arthritis |
| Diagnosis of Rheumatoid Arthritis. Rheumatoid arthritis is generally diagnosed and treated by rheumatologists, in most countries. ISN. |
| |
| Rheumatoid Arthritis in Overlap |
| Rheumatoid Arthritis in Overlap is when RA is found with other autoimmune diseases or chronic illness. RA is often found in overlap with other connective tissue diseases such as scleroderma, lupus, and polymyositis/dermatomyositis. It can also be found with other diseases such as thyroiditis, fibromyalgia, and sjogren's. ISN. |
| Prevention of Rheumatoid Arthritis |
| Self-care Tips. Although there is no known way to prevent the development of rheumatoid arthritis, you can reduce the pain of flare-ups and prevent joint deformity by following your doctor's treatment recommendations. Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, College of Medicine. |
| Impact of smoking as a risk factor for developing rheumatoid arthritis (RA): A meta-analysis of observational studies. Smoking is a risk factor for RA for and is especially strongly associated with RA for RF+ male and both male and female heavy smokers. D. Sugiyama. Ann Rheum Dis. 27 January 2009. |
| Anti-Cyclic Citrullinated Peptide Antibody, Smoking, Alcohol Consumption, and Disease Duration as Risk Factors for Extraarticular Manifestations (EAM) in Korean Patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA). Longer disease duration, smoking history, and positive anti-CCP antibody contributed significantly to the occurrence of EAM in Korean patients with RA. Alcohol consumption in patients with RA had a negative association with EAM. J Rheumatol First Release May 1 2008. (Also see: RA Antibodies). |
| Rheumatoid arthritis patients who smoke have a higher need for DMARDs and feel worse, but they do not have more joint damage than non-smokers of the same serological group. The higher use of DMARDs may indicate that smoking weakens the potency of anti-rheumatic drugs and/or is needed to control an otherwise higher disease activity. G. Westhoff. Rheumatology Access Online. April 4, 2008. |
| Treatments of Rheumatoid Arthritis |
| Treatments for Rheumatoid Arthritis include medications such as immunosuppressants and biologics, alternative therapies and supplements, and exercise. Many patients respond to a combination of medication and alternative therapies. ISN. |
| |
| Research of Rheumatoid Arthritis |
| Does the weather really matter? A cohort study of influences of weather and solar conditions on daily variations of joint pain in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). In the present sample, pain was significantly associated with 3 or more weather variables in 1 out of 6 patients, for whom the magnitude of weather sensitivity might significantly influence pain reporting in clinical care and research. (PubMed) G. Smedslund. Arthritis Rheum. 2009 Aug 27;61(9):1243-1247. |
| Support for Rheumatoid Arthritis |
| Australia, New South Wales: Arthritis New South Wales |
| United States: Arthritis Foundation |
| Personal Stories of Rheumatoid Arthritis |
| Rheumatoid Arthritis Personal Stories. These personal stories are from people who have rheumatoid arthritis (RA), or who have been nearly diagnosed, or misdiagnosed with it; as well as those who have RA in overlap with other autoimmune diseases. ISN. (Also see: Difficult Diagnosis) |
| Media Articles about Rheumatoid Arthritis |
| Finding New Ways to Treat Rheumatoid Arthritis. A researcher at Northwestern University developed what he calls a suicide molecule. It acts like the protein that directs cells to self-destruct. He says the suicide molecule halted and even reduced rheumatoid arthritis in seventy-five percent of the mice in the study. He believes the treatment could also work in people. VOANews.com. 05/18/10. |
| Cigarette Smoking and Rheumatoid Arthritis. Cigarette smoking may increase the risk of developing rheumatoid arthritis. There is also some evidence that cigarette smoking increases the likelihood that rheumatoid arthritis will be severe when it occurs. Carol & Richard Eustice. About.com. 10/06/09. |
| Researchers Uncover Higher Prevalence of Periodontal Disease in Rheumatoid Arthritis Patients. For some patients, adverse RA symptoms may affect manual dexterity, which can make one’s daily routine quite difficult. One area that may be affected is oral hygiene which can ultimately lead to periodontal disease. However, research findings indicate that poor oral hygiene alone did not account for the association between RA and gum disease, suggesting that other factors may play a role as well. Perio.org. 06/05/08. |
Get our free Sclero e-Newsletter!
Player Registration for 5th Annual Scoring for Scleroderma Soccer Tournament in Bridgewater, Massachusetts.