Rheumatoid Arthritis

Rheumatoid arthritis is one of the most common autoimmune diseases. It comes in multiple forms such as RA, early-onset RA, and elderly-onset RA. Per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1.5 million Americans currently have RA and the vast majority of them are women. This debilitating condition is especially prevalent in members of the elderly population. In fact, a study published by Sage Journals indicated that RA is one of the leading autoimmune diseases for those above the age of 65.

There are more than 100 varieties of arthritis. The term arthritis literally means “inflammation (swelling) of a joint.” Osteoarthritis (OA) and Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) are two of the most common types of arthritis, with OA being more common than RA. Both OA and RA are characterized by inflammation in the joints, with RA having more intense levels of inflammation.

Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic autoimmune inflammatory disease of unknown cause. RA not only affects your joints but also affects a wide variety of body systems, including the skin, eyes, lungs, blood, nerves, and heart. RA affects just over 1.3 million Americans — approximately 0.6 percent of the population — and approximately one percent of the world’s population.