Rheumatoid Arthritis is a chronic connective tissue disease that begins with inflammation in the synovial membrane of the joints. The estimated incidence of RA in developed countries, including Poland, is 1 in 100 people. The development of the disease usually occurs between the ages of 40 and 50.
Symptoms
The main symptoms of RA are pain, stiffness and/or swelling of the joints, most often in the hands and feet (but also in other joints). The arthritis usually occurs symmetrically, on both sides of the body. Also characteristic is morning stiffness of the joints, which persists for more than an hour after waking up.
Other general symptoms that may occur are muscle pain, fatigue, a subfebrile state and weight loss due to decreased appetite.
Causes and risk factors
RA has an autoimmune basis – due to an abnormal response by the immune system, lymphocytes and other immune cells attack their own cells.
Risk factors are:
Treatment and complications
RA significantly reduces patients’ quality of life due to pain and limited joint mobility, which interferes with daily activities and can result in disability/disability.
Patients with a severe, long-term course may develop extra-articular lesions. The most common lesions are rheumatoid nodules that form both subcutaneously and on internal organs. Serious lesions can also arise in the circulatory system, the respiratory system, the kidneys, the organ of vision, and the nervous system. However, thanks to modern treatments for RA, the mortality rate associated with the disease is falling.
The main tests performed to diagnose RA are laboratory tests (blood tests, ESR, fibrinogen and CRP levels, rheumatoid factor testing), joint fluid testing and joint X-rays.
The most common treatment for RA is the use of disease-modifying drugs (DMEs). The choice of drug depends on the duration and course of the disease. The main goal of treatment is to induce a state of remission in the patient by delaying/preventing joint changes.