Rheumatoid Arthritis

Also called: RA

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Summary

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a form of arthritis that causes pain, swelling, stiffness and loss of function in your joints. It can affect any joint but is common in the wrist and fingers.

More women than men get rheumatoid arthritis. It often starts in middle age and is most common in older people. You might have the disease for only a short time, or symptoms might come and go. The severe form can last a lifetime.

Rheumatoid arthritis is different from osteoarthritis, the common arthritis that often comes with older age. RA can affect body parts besides joints, such as your eyes, mouth and lungs. RA is an autoimmune disease, which means the arthritis results from your immune system attacking your body's own tissues.

No one knows what causes rheumatoid arthritis. Genes, environment, and hormones might contribute. Treatments include medicine, lifestyle changes, and surgery. These can slow or stop joint damage and reduce pain and swelling.

NIH: National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases

Start Here

Rheumatoid Arthritis (American Academy of Family Physicians) Also in Spanish
Rheumatoid Arthritis (National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases) Also in Spanish
Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)

Diagnosis and Tests

ANA (Antinuclear Antibody) Test (National Library of Medicine) Also in Spanish
C-Reactive Protein (CRP) Test (National Library of Medicine) Also in Spanish
CCP Antibody Test (National Library of Medicine) Also in Spanish
Complement Blood Test (National Library of Medicine) Also in Spanish
Erythrocyte Sedimentation Rate (ESR) (National Library of Medicine) Also in Spanish
Rheumatoid Factor (RF) Test (National Library of Medicine) Also in Spanish
Synovial Fluid Analysis (National Library of Medicine) Also in Spanish

Treatments and Therapies

Joint Injections (Joint Aspirations) (American College of Rheumatology) Also in Spanish
Rheumatoid Arthritis: In Depth (National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health)

Living With

6 Tips to Manage Rheumatoid Arthritis Symptoms (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
About Physical Activity and Arthritis (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)

Related Issues

Immune System & Rheumatic Disease (American College of Rheumatology) Also in Spanish
Rheumatoid Arthritis: Can It Affect the Eyes? (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) Also in Spanish
Rheumatoid Arthritis: Can It Affect the Lungs? (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) Also in Spanish

Specifics

Arthritis of the Hand (American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons)
Arthritis of the Shoulder (American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons)
Arthritis of the Wrist (American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons)
Inflammatory Arthritis of the Hip (American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons)
Rheumatoid Arthritis of the Foot and Ankle (American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society)

Genetics

Rheumatoid arthritis: MedlinePlus Genetics (National Library of Medicine)

Videos and Tutorials

Rheumatoid Arthritis Educational Video Series (Johns Hopkins Medicine)

Test Your Knowledge

Rheumatoid Arthritis Symptoms Quiz (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish

Statistics and Research

Arthritis by the Numbers: Book of Trusted Facts and Figures (Arthritis Foundation) - PDF
Inflammation (National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences)
Parent Smoking Linked to Rheumatoid Arthritis (National Institutes of Health)

Clinical Trials

ClinicalTrials.gov: Arthritis, Rheumatoid (National Institutes of Health)

Journal Articles References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)

Find an Expert

Arthritis Foundation: Local Office Directory (Arthritis Foundation)
Find a Rheumatologist (American College of Rheumatology)
National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases Also in Spanish

Women

Pregnancy and Rheumatic Disease (American College of Rheumatology) Also in Spanish

Patient Handouts

Collagen vascular disease (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
Felty syndrome (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
Rheumatoid arthritis (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
Rheumatoid factor (RF) (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
Rheumatoid lung disease (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish