What is Rheumatoid arthritis? Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) is a
debilitating autoimmune disease that hinders the daily
activities of sufferers. RA occurs when the immune system
inappropriately attacks joint tissue, causing painful chronic
inflammation and irreversible destruction of cartilage, tendons
and bones, often resulting in disability. Who gets Rheumatoid
arthritis? Rheumatoid Arthritis is 2 to 3 times more common in
women than men (NIH, The National Women's Health Centre, 2004).
While risk increases with age, arthritis is not limited to the
elderly, more than one-half of the people who reported having
arthritis were under age 65. Symptoms of Rheumatoid arthritis
Common RA symptoms include inflammation of the joints, swelling,
fatigue, stiffness and pain. Additionally, since RA is a
systemic disease, it can have effects in other tissues such as
the lungs, eyes and bone marrow.