Rheumatoid Arthritis

Disease State Hub

Research Summaries

Rheumatoid Arthritis Drugs Linked to Serious Infection

05/13/2015

Investigators examined the association between biological drug use for rheumatoid arthritis treatment and increased risk of serious infection.

05/13/2015

Arthritis

Blood Test Could Detect Early-Stage Rheumatoid Arthritis

03/25/2015

Researchers have identified a biomarker linked to early-stage osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis.

03/25/2015

Rheumatoid Arthritis

Study: RA Increases Women's Mortality Risk By 40%

11/21/2014

A new study evaluated mortality among women who were followed prospectively prior to RA diagnosis, directly comparing them to women without RA.

11/21/2014

Rheumatoid Arthritis

Distress in Rheumatoid Arthritis: Then and Now

12/13/2013

Individuals living with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) today experience significantly less psychological distress and physical disability than those who were living with the autoimmune disease two decades ago. ...

12/13/2013

COVID-19

RA and COVID-19 Severity

05/14/2011

Patients with rheumatoid arthritis are at an increased risk of serious COVID-19 outcomes, research reveals.

05/14/2011

Treatment

Study Reveals Principal Component Is Effective in Patient Profiling in RA

05/05/2011

During a patient-profiling, data-driven study, researchers reveal 5 phenotypes associated with patients with rheumatoid arthritis.

05/05/2011

Rheumatoid Arthritis

Medicare Claims Reveal Flaws in Self-Reports of Rheumatoid Arthritis

03/02/2011

Revisions to self-reporting tools for rheumatoid arthritis diagnoses are needed to validate national health surveys

03/02/2011

Rheumatoid Arthritis

Medicare Claims Reveal Flaws in Self-Reports of Rheumatoid Arthritis

03/02/2011

Revisions to self-reporting tools for rheumatoid arthritis diagnoses are needed to validate national health surveys

03/02/2011

Rheumatoid Arthritis Snapshot

For autoimmune disease content, visit the Disease State Hub

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic, inflammatory, autoimmune disease. It mainly affects the joints in a person's hands, wrists, and knees.

For rheumatologic disorders content, visit the Disease State Hub

Rheumatologists, Primary Care, Orthopaedists, Physical and Occupational Therapists

For RA that affects the lungs and heart: Pulmonologists and Cardiologists

Typically presents as tender, warm, swollen joints, joint stiffness (usually worse in the mornings/after inactivity), fatigue, fever and loss of appetite.

About 40% of patients experience signs and symptoms that aren't related to their joints. Areas affected are: skin, eyes, lungs, heart, kidneys, salivary glands, nerve tissue, bone marrow, blood vessels

For diagnosis strategies content, visit the Resource Center

Blood Tests: Elevated erythrocyte sedimentation rate or C-reactive protein level can indicate if someone has RA.

Blood Tests: Other blood tests look for anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide (anti-CCP) antibodies and rheumatoid factor. A complete blood count test is used to diagnose anemia, which is common in patients with RA

For imaging content, visit the Resource Center

Imaging Tests: Imaging tests, such as X-rays, may track the progression of RA over time.

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) may help diagnose RA in the early stages of the disease.

For women's health content, visit the Resource Center

As of 2021, 1.5 million people in the United States have RA.
Women are 3 times as likely as men to develop RA.
Women are typically diagnosed with RA aged between 30 to 60 years.

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