Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a long-term condition that usually affects joints: hand and wrists most commonly, but also elbows, neck, shoulders, hips, knees, and feet. RA causes swelling, stiffness, pain, and loss of function in the joints. Other symptoms include fatigue, fever, and a sense of not feeling well (malaise). Many people with RA develop anaemia. RA also increases the risk of thinning of the bones, osteoporosis, particularly in those taking corticosteroid drugs such as prednisone. The disease can affect other body organs as well, causing dry eyes and mouth – symptoms of Sjögren’s syndrome.
Rheumatoid arthritis usually develops slowly between the ages of 20 and 45. More than 75% of patients are women. RA is different from osteoarthritis, in which joint tissue wears down from repetitive use or age. RA usually affects joints in a symmetrical way. If one knee is affected, the other knee is also affected. The disease may be partly inherited through genes, but other factors are probably at work, including some kind of a trigger for the gene, such as an infection. The disease is not contagious, however. Some scientists also think that changes in certain hormones may promote RA in people with particular genes who have been exposed to the triggering agent.
