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Rheumatoid Arthritis

Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA)
General Information:
Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic inflammatory condition that can affect many tissues in body, but the joints are usually most severely affected. Depending on the severity of the disease, RA can begin damaging the joints in the first year after the disease starts. This inflammatory process progressively causes damage to the joint structures leading to chronic pain, permanent damage and ultimately can lead to disability.

Risk Factors:
The cause is unknown and the symptoms usually develop gradually. Incidence rate is 1 in every 100 individuals, more in women, and can affect people of all ages. Gender, heredity, and genes largely determine a person's susceptibility to RA. People with RA have 4-5 times higher risks of developing Leukemia and Lymphoma, 2x higher chance of heart attacks (MI), and more occurrence of lung, skin, or ophthalmologic diseases. Mortality rate is much higher.

How to Diagnose?!:
The proper diagnosis of RA is the first step in ensuring the appropriate treatment of this condition. There is no single sign, symptom, or test result for its diagnosis. Instead, the diagnosis is based on many factors, including specific signs and symptoms, and results of laboratory and x-ray tests. It is generally impossible to predict how the disease will affect a particular individual.

Sign & Symptoms:
In most cases, the pattern of signs and symptoms and the results of diagnostic tests help differentiate between RA and other conditions. However, in some cases, it may be necessary to monitor the condition over time before a diagnosis of RA can be made or excluded with certainty.

During any stage, the symptoms can vary widely from person to person.  The joint symptoms usually begin gradually and are characterized by pain, stiffness, and swelling of many joints.

Nonspecific and often confusing symptoms may predate the characteristic symptoms by months or even years. These symptoms may include fatigue, muscle pain, a low-grade fever, weight loss, and numbness and tingling in the hands.
 
How to Treat RA?!
The aim of RA treatment is to control a patient's symptoms, maintain their physical function and quality of life and to minimize joint damage. This usually entails a combination of drug therapy and other non-drug therapies.  
People should work with their healthcare providers together to formulate a long-term treatment plan, define reasonable expectations, and evaluate both standard and alternative treatment options.

There is no diet which can cure rheumatoid arthritis. Most claims that food supplements can cure RA are unsubstantiated.

Drug therapy is the cornerstone of RA treatment for all patients. The type and intensity of drug therapy depends upon the severity of RA, effectiveness of previous treatments, and side effects.
Today, there are advanced treatments which may include NSAID, steroids and/or Disease modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDs) such as Methotrexate, Sulfasalazine, Plaquenil, Arava and Biologics.

Several weeks to months of treatment are often necessary before the effects of DMARDs become evident. But, we now have different agents to halt the progression of the disease including life changing medications known as TNF-a blockers a.k.a biologics.  

Infliximab (Remicade®),Etanercept (Enbrel®), and adalimumab (Humira®), are biologic examples. Anakinra (Kineret®) is a also biologic agent that acts to inhibit another cytokine, interleukin-1. Abatacept (Orencia®) interferes with activation of one type of lymphocytes (T cells) and rituximab (Rituxan®) depletes another type (B cells).

Biologic response agents work rapidly and may be used alone or in combination with other DMARDs, NSAIDs, and/or steroids.

For more drug safety information, you should read the packet insert information and discuss everything with your rheumatologist.

TO GET MORE INFORMATION 
Rheumatologists are the best source of information for questions and concerns related to your disease. No two patients are exactly alike and recommendations can vary from one person to another.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

     

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    We have provided this website as a source of introduction to our practice and a chance to present limited educational information. This information is no substitute for individual patient assessment based upon the healthcare provider's examination of each patient and consideration of laboratory data and other factors unique to the patient. Although we have tried to create a reliable and accurate website, it is not a substitution for an actual consultation to a physician since every patient condition is unique which deserve a detailed investigation and treatment by a physician or other healthcare providers. Please consider this site as an information center only. Arthritis Medical Clinic, its doctors and employees are not liable for the content of the information, accuracy, or any errors that is provided in the website or the links provided. Please note that we are not liable and we will be legally immune if any loss or damage occurs due to reliance on our site. Standards and practices in medicine change as new data become available and every individual should seek medical professional and possibly consult a variety of sources. Arthritis Medical Clinic prohibits reproduction and redistribution of any part of the website without obtaining written permission.