Rheumatoid arthritis or RA is an autoimmune disorder affecting the joints and organs. RA tends to alternate between symptom flare-ups and remission periods, making it a difficult disorder to predict and treat. A great deal of research into rheumatoid arthritis has identified many risk factors and potential treatments, although there is still no cure for arthritis.

Whenever a new calendar is slapped on the wall, many of us swear off carbs and commit to kale all-day-every-day, or decide this spring we’re going to do our first triathlon even though we get out of breath jogging to the bus stop and the only time we wear a swimsuit is to wade over to the swim-up bar.

Although ancient history is often dry and not very relevant, it’s interesting that aspirin, chemically known as acetylsalicylic acid or ASA–by far the world’s best known and most popular drug–has been around a long, long time.

Those who’ve lived through times of war, depression, migration or famine remember what it’s like to have very little. Many of our grandparents dealt with hardships that taught them to be resourceful.