Rheumatoid Arthritis
Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic disease, mainly characterized by inflammation of the lining, or synovium, of the joints. It can lead to long-term joint damage, resulting in chronic pain, loss of function and disability.
Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) is an autoimmune disease affecting approximately 2.5 million adults in the U.S. which causes chronic inflammation of the joints and, sometimes, surrounding tissue. Affecting women more often than men (3:1), RA can arise at any age, although onset is most commonly between the ages of 40 and 60. Unlike other kinds of arthritis, RA is symmetrical — if a joint on one side is affected, so too often is the corresponding joint on the other side — and can affect areas of the body other than joints, such as the eyes, heart and lungs. Morning stiffness is usually associated with RA, as is chronic fatigue.
Unlike osteoarthritis, which is degenerative in nature, RA symptoms can come and go, sometimes going into remission for months at a time.
Medical treatment of RA focuses on relieving pain and inflammation. Anti-inflammatory drugs ranging from aspirin to celecoxib reduce inflammation and relieve pain, disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs) such as methotrexate (Rheumatrex®, Trexall®) slow joint destruction and Biologic Response Modifiers (BRMs) such as etanercept (Enbrel®) and anakinra (Kineret®) directly modify the immune system by inhibiting proteins called cytokines, which contribute to inflammation.
Source: U.S. National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS), Handout of Health: Rheumatoid Arthritis May 2004 (http://www.niams.nih.gov/hi/topics/arthritis/rahandout.htm)