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Also called: RA
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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
Painful Joints? Early Treatment for Rheumatoid Arthritis Is Key (National Institutes of Health) Also in Spanish
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)
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
Joint Injections (Joint Aspirations) (American College of Rheumatology) Also in Spanish
Rheumatoid Arthritis: In Depth (National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health)
6 Tips to Manage Rheumatoid Arthritis Symptoms (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
Living with Arthritis (American Occupational Therapy Association) - PDF
Immune System and Its Link to Rheumatic Diseases (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
What People with Rheumatoid Arthritis Need to Know about Osteoporosis (National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases)
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 (American Society for Surgery of the Hand)
Rheumatoid Arthritis of the Foot and Ankle (American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society)
Rheumatoid arthritis: MedlinePlus Genetics (National Library of Medicine)
Rheumatoid Arthritis Educational Video Series (Johns Hopkins Medicine)
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)
ClinicalTrials.gov: Arthritis, Rheumatoid (National Institutes of Health)
Journal Articles References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)
Article: Influence of Dietary n-3 Long Chain Polyunsaturated Fatty Acid Intake on...
Article: In Contrast to Anti-CCP, MMP-Degraded and Citrullinated Vimentin (VICM) Is Both...
Article: Experiences of group-based cognitive behavioural therapy for insomnia among patients with...
Rheumatoid Arthritis -- see more articles
Arthritis Glossary (Boston University)
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
Pregnancy and Rheumatic Disease (American College of Rheumatology) Also in Spanish
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
Topic Image
Antimitochondrial antibody
Antithyroid microsomal antibody
Caplan syndrome
Collagen vascular disease
Complement component 3 (C3)
Complement component 4
Cryoglobulins
Felty syndrome
Necrotizing vasculitis
Protein electrophoresis - serum
Quantitative nephelometry
Rheumatoid factor (RF)
Scleritis
Serum globulin electrophoresis
Related Health Topics
The primary NIH organization for research on Rheumatoid Arthritis is the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases
Find health information in languages other than English on Rheumatoid Arthritis
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