Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsSymptomsCausesEarly TreatmentLong-Term TreatmentDiagnosisLiving With RANext in Rheumatoid Arthritis GuideRheumatoid Arthritis Symptoms and Complications
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View All
Table of Contents
Symptoms
Causes
Early Treatment
Long-Term Treatment
Diagnosis
Living With RA
Next in Rheumatoid Arthritis Guide
Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is one of the most commonautoimmune arthritistypes.It occurs when the immune system malfunctions and attacks healthy tissues—mainly thesynovial linings of joints. RA is also a type ofinflammatory arthritis.
Inflammationis a central characteristic of RA, leading to pain and swelling that affects the joints and other body tissues. Inflammation is how the body responds to defend itself from foreign invaders like bacteria and germs. In people with RA, the body’s inflammatory response is overactive.
Left unchecked, RA inflammation can lead to severe joint damage, disability, and disease complications. There isno cure for RA, but the disease is treatable and manageable.
This article will cover rheumatoid arthritis symptoms, causes, treatment, and more.
Early Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) Symptoms
Morning stiffnessof the joints is one of the earliest signs of RA.This symptom may last an hour or longer. It occurs after long periods of inactivity and affects one or more joints. This type of stiffness improves with movement and as the joints warm up. Pain with movement and joint tenderness are additional early symptoms of RA.
Symptoms of RA will come on slowly and worsen over weeks and months.The number of joints involved in early RA varies, but RA is a polyarticular condition, which means five or more joints will be affected.
For many people, RA will start in the small joints of the hands and feet.Inflammation and swelling of these joints lasting six or more weeks might indicate inflammatory arthritis.
Inflammatory ArthritisThe term “inflammatory arthritis” refers to any arthritis type in which the body’s immune system mistakenly attacks healthy tissues, causing inflammation that affects multiple joints and other body tissues.In addition to RA, psoriatic arthritis, Still’s disease (systemic juvenile idiopathic arthritis), and lupus (systemic lupus erythematosus, SLE) are all types of inflammatory arthritis.
Inflammatory Arthritis
The term “inflammatory arthritis” refers to any arthritis type in which the body’s immune system mistakenly attacks healthy tissues, causing inflammation that affects multiple joints and other body tissues.In addition to RA, psoriatic arthritis, Still’s disease (systemic juvenile idiopathic arthritis), and lupus (systemic lupus erythematosus, SLE) are all types of inflammatory arthritis.
Symmetric involvement of the small joints of the hands is expected in RA. As RA progresses, it is possible to experience inflammation in larger joints, including the knees and hips.
Polyarthritis, Inflammatory Arthritis, and Rheumatoid Arthritis
How It Feels
Symptoms of RA will be systemic (whole-body) and symmetric. They may include:
Early Stage Rheumatoid Arthritis in the Hands and Feet
The pain associated with RA varies from person to person. Inflammation associated with the condition leads to pain, tenderness, and warmth in and around the affected joints.
RA pain has been described as deep and achy, as well as dull and persistent.It has also been described as sharp and shooting, especially with movement. Joint stiffness is typical, especially in the morning upon waking and after long periods of inactivity.
Some people with RA describe periods of excruciating pain, severe fatigue, and little or no energy.Pain can affect mobility, especially if the hips,knees, ankles, or feet are severely inflamed.
RA can also have cognitive and emotional effects.Cognitive features of RA include memory loss, brain fog, confusion, and trouble with thinking or reasoning. Emotional effects of RA include mood swings, depression, sadness, despair, and anxiety.
Disease Progression
RA is a progressive condition that will worsen over time. What that progression looks like will vary from person to person and depends on multiple factors.
Such factors include:
RA progression is gradual and can take years or even decades. This progression is classified into stages.
These stages are:
What Does Rheumatoid Arthritis Progression Look Like?
Whole-Body Effects
RA mainly affects the joints but can also affect other body systems. This is because RA leads to whole-body effects that can damage joints and organs and affectlife span. Many of these are also considered disease complications.
Additional body areas RA can affect are:
RA on its own is usually not fatal. But complications like those above can shorten a person’s life. Fortunately, newer, more aggressive treatments have reduced disease complications, which means people with RA are living longer.
Effects of Rheumatoid Arthritis Throughout the Entire Body
RA Causes, Risk Factors, and Triggers
RA is anautoimmune diseaseresulting from a malfunction in the immune system that causes it to attack healthy tissues.
The exact cause of RA is unknown, but researchers have identified specific genetic, environmental, lifestyle, and hormonal factors they believe are linked to its development.Theserisk factorsmay work alone or in combination to trigger the malfunctioning of the immune system.
Such risk factors include:
(Note that when research or health authorities are cited, the terms for sex and gender in the source are used.)
Early RA Treatment
Treating rheumatoid arthritisfocuses on controlling inflammation and pain, stopping joint damage, and preventing disability.That is achieved with medicines, therapies, lifestyle changes, and surgery to restore joint function and repair damaged joints.
Medications used alone or in combination to treat the condition include:
If you are recently diagnosed with RA, your healthcare provider will typically start you out on a traditional DMARD, which is usuallymethotrexate, unless there is a reason you can’t use it.
You will continue the initial treatment for at least six months.A biologic DMARD might be added if there is little or no improvement or symptoms have worsened.
Long-Term RA Treatment and Managing Flares
You will need to treat RA for the rest of your life. This includes regular medical visits with arheumatologistand tests to assess how well treatments are working and to monitor medication side effects. Long-term treatment for RA is crucial in controlling inflammation and minimizing joint damage.
What Is a Rheumatologist?A rheumatologist is a medical doctor (M.D.) who specializes in diseases that affect the bones, joints, and muscles. A rheumatologist can confirm an RA diagnosis and provide a treatment plan.
What Is a Rheumatologist?
A rheumatologist is a medical doctor (M.D.) who specializes in diseases that affect the bones, joints, and muscles. A rheumatologist can confirm an RA diagnosis and provide a treatment plan.
In addition to medication, your rheumatologist will recommend non-drug therapies to help you manage pain and symptoms.
For example, physical therapy can help keep joints strong and mobile. Research on physical therapy for managing RA finds it to help manage RA pain and stiffness, improve movement, restore function, and prevent disability.
Anoccupational therapistmight suggest ways to protect your joints while doing daily tasks. They can also recommend assistive devices that help avoid stress on your joints.
If you experience RA joint damage, your healthcare provider might recommendsurgery to repair or replace damaged joints. Surgery can reduce pain and improve joint function.
Managing RA Flares
People with RA will experience periods where their disease flares up. These are times when their symptoms are worse. Symptoms experienced during a flare include severe joint pain, swelling, stiffness, and fatigue.
Most people can manage flares at home with rest and home remedies. Some at-home remedies for managing flares include:
RA Flare-Ups: How to Manage Rheumatoid Arthritis Pain
Getting a Rheumatologist Referral for Diagnosis
If you are showing early signs and symptoms of RA, you should inform a healthcare provider. They can perform a physical exam, request testing, and refer you to a rheumatologist.
A healthcare provider might suspect RA if you experience:
A diagnosis of RA typically involves a physical exam, medical history, including symptoms, family history, blood work and other lab testing, and imaging like magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and X-rays. Once your healthcare provider has gathered the findings from all these diagnostic tools, they will look at the results and make a diagnosis.
RA symptoms can be mistaken for other conditions. This is why your healthcare provider will work to rule out all other possible conditions before making an RA diagnosis.
Some conditions that cause similar symptoms or mimic RA include:
Rheumatoid Arthritis vs. OsteoarthritisOsteoarthritis (OA) is the most common type of arthritis.Unlike RA, osteoarthritis is not an autoimmune disease. It results from the breakdown of joint cartilage.Causes of OA include aging, joint injuries, repetitive joint use, being overweight, and having a family history of OA. Inflammatory processes do not cause OA, so it does not affect other body areas, such as the eyes or heart.OA develops over many years and typically affects older adults. It does not cause whole-body symptoms like fatigue and fever. It can get progressively worse with age, but unlike RA, there are no disease-modifying treatments to prevent progression.OA is classically asymmetric (affecting only one side of the body) but can sometimes affect joints on both sides of the body (both knees or hips, etc.) the way RA traditionally does.
Rheumatoid Arthritis vs. Osteoarthritis
Osteoarthritis (OA) is the most common type of arthritis.Unlike RA, osteoarthritis is not an autoimmune disease. It results from the breakdown of joint cartilage.Causes of OA include aging, joint injuries, repetitive joint use, being overweight, and having a family history of OA. Inflammatory processes do not cause OA, so it does not affect other body areas, such as the eyes or heart.OA develops over many years and typically affects older adults. It does not cause whole-body symptoms like fatigue and fever. It can get progressively worse with age, but unlike RA, there are no disease-modifying treatments to prevent progression.OA is classically asymmetric (affecting only one side of the body) but can sometimes affect joints on both sides of the body (both knees or hips, etc.) the way RA traditionally does.
Osteoarthritis (OA) is the most common type of arthritis.Unlike RA, osteoarthritis is not an autoimmune disease. It results from the breakdown of joint cartilage.
Causes of OA include aging, joint injuries, repetitive joint use, being overweight, and having a family history of OA. Inflammatory processes do not cause OA, so it does not affect other body areas, such as the eyes or heart.
OA develops over many years and typically affects older adults. It does not cause whole-body symptoms like fatigue and fever. It can get progressively worse with age, but unlike RA, there are no disease-modifying treatments to prevent progression.
OA is classically asymmetric (affecting only one side of the body) but can sometimes affect joints on both sides of the body (both knees or hips, etc.) the way RA traditionally does.
Mental Health, Self-Care, and Lifestyle With RA
RA and mood disorders have a clear link because of the disease’s effects, such as pain, limited mobility, stress, and response to the effects of the condition.You should seek help if you arefinding it difficult to cope while managing RA. Your healthcare provider can provide acounselingreferral.
Self-care andlifestyle changescan help to reduce the physical and emotional effects of RA. These include:
Summary
Rheumatoid arthritis is a common type of autoimmune arthritis that occurs when the body’s immune system overreacts and attacks healthy tissues. These attacks lead to significant inflammation in the joints, organs, and other body tissues.
Common symptoms of RA are joint pain, swelling, stiffness, and systemic symptoms like fatigue and low-grade fever. RA often starts in the small joints of the hands and feet but can also affect larger joints.
Researchers do not know exactly what causes RA, but they have long suspected genetics and environmental factors might be to blame. RA development is also believed to be linked to triggers like exposure to chemicals and pollutants, chronic stress, emotional or physical trauma, lifestyle factors, an illness, or a viral or bacterial infection.
RA is manageable and treatable but currently has no cure. Early diagnosis and the right treatments can reduce pain and other disease symptoms and prevent joint damage and disability.
23 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.American College of Rheumatology.Rheumatoid arthritis.Johns Hopkins Arthritis Center.Rheumatoid arthritis symptoms.Alpay-Kanıtez N, Çelik S, Bes C.Polyarthritis and its differential diagnosis.Eur J Rheumatol. 2018;6(4):167-173. doi:10.5152/eurjrheum.2019.19145Hospital for Specific Surgery.Living with inflammatory arthritis.Donnelly S, Manning M, Mannan H, Wilson AG, Kroll T.Renegotiating dimensions of the self: a systematic review and qualitative evidence synthesis of the livedexperience of self‐managing rheumatoid arthritis.Health Expectations. 2020;23(6):1388-1411. doi:10.1111/hex.13122Verma MK, Sobha K.Understanding the major risk factors in the beginning and the progression of rheumatoid arthritis: current scenario and future prospects.Inflamm Res. 2015;64(9):647-659. doi:10.1007/s00011-015-0843-8.Reed E, Hedström AK, Hansson M, et al.Presence of autoantibodies in “seronegative” rheumatoid arthritis associates with classical risk factors and high disease activity.Arthritis Res Ther. 2020;22(1):170. doi:10.1186/s13075-020-02191-2Zhu M, Ding Q, Lin Z, et al.New targets and strategies for rheumatoid arthritis: from signal transduction to epigenetic aspect.Biomolecules. 2023;13(5):766. doi:10.3390/biom13050766Babaahmadi M, Tayebi B, Gholipour NM, et al.Rheumatoid arthritis: the old issue, the new therapeutic approach.Stem Cell Res Ther. 2023;14(1):268. doi:10.1186/s13287-023-03473-7Bhamra MS, Gondal I, Amarnani A, et al.Ocular manifestations of rheumatoid arthritis: implications of recent clinical trials.Int J Clin Res Trials. 2019;4(2):139. doi:10.15344/2456-8007/2019/139NIH Director’s Blog.Connecting the dots: oral infection to rheumatoid arthritis.Figus FA, Piga M, Azzolin I, McConnell R, Iagnocco A.Rheumatoid arthritis: extra-articular manifestations and comorbidities.Autoimmun Rev. 2021;20(4):102776.doi:10.1016/j.autrev.2021.102776Guellec D, Cozien S, Ruyssen-Witrand A, Dieudé P, Saraux A.Prevalence and clinical significance of extra-articular manifestations at diagnosis in the ESPOIR cohort with recent-onset arthritis.Semin Arthritis Rheum. 2020;50(3):409-413. doi:10.1016/j.semarthrit.2020.01.004Kapoor T, Bathon J.Renal manifestations of rheumatoid arthritis.Rheum Dis Clin North Am. 2018;44(4):571-584. doi:10.1016/j.rdc.2018.06.008Løppenthin K, Esbensen BA, Østergaard M, Ibsen R, Kjellberg J, Jennum P.Morbidity and mortality in patients with rheumatoid arthritis compared with an age- and sex-matched control population: a nationwide register study.J Comorb. 2019;9:2235042X19853484. doi:10.1177/2235042X19853484Alpízar-Rodríguez D, Pluchino N, Canny G, Gabay C, Finckh A.The role of female hormonal factors in the development of rheumatoid arthritis.Rheumatology. 2017;56(8):1254-1263. doi:10.1093/rheumatology/kew318Hospital for Special Surgery.Early rheumatoid arthritis treatment and medications update.Fraenkel L, Bathon JM, England BR, et al.2021 American College of Rheumatology guideline for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis.ArthritisRheumatol. 2021;73(7):1108-1123. doi:10.1002/art.41752Yılmaz V, Umay E, Gündoğdu İ, Karaahmet ZÖ, Öztürk AE.Rheumatoid arthritis: are psychological factors effective in disease flare?Eur J Rheumatol. 2017;4(2):127-132. doi:10.5152/eurjrheum.2017.16100UpToDate.Diagnosis and differential diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Osteoarthritis.Lwin MN, Serhal L, Holroyd C, Edwards CJ.Rheumatoid arthritis: the impact of mental health on disease: A narrative review.Rheumatol Ther. 2020;7(3):457-471.doi:10.1007/s40744-020-00217-4Chang K, Yang SM, Kim SH, et al.Smoking and rheumatoid arthritis.Int J Mol Sci. 2014;15(12):22279-22295. doi:10.3390/ijms151222279
23 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.American College of Rheumatology.Rheumatoid arthritis.Johns Hopkins Arthritis Center.Rheumatoid arthritis symptoms.Alpay-Kanıtez N, Çelik S, Bes C.Polyarthritis and its differential diagnosis.Eur J Rheumatol. 2018;6(4):167-173. doi:10.5152/eurjrheum.2019.19145Hospital for Specific Surgery.Living with inflammatory arthritis.Donnelly S, Manning M, Mannan H, Wilson AG, Kroll T.Renegotiating dimensions of the self: a systematic review and qualitative evidence synthesis of the livedexperience of self‐managing rheumatoid arthritis.Health Expectations. 2020;23(6):1388-1411. doi:10.1111/hex.13122Verma MK, Sobha K.Understanding the major risk factors in the beginning and the progression of rheumatoid arthritis: current scenario and future prospects.Inflamm Res. 2015;64(9):647-659. doi:10.1007/s00011-015-0843-8.Reed E, Hedström AK, Hansson M, et al.Presence of autoantibodies in “seronegative” rheumatoid arthritis associates with classical risk factors and high disease activity.Arthritis Res Ther. 2020;22(1):170. doi:10.1186/s13075-020-02191-2Zhu M, Ding Q, Lin Z, et al.New targets and strategies for rheumatoid arthritis: from signal transduction to epigenetic aspect.Biomolecules. 2023;13(5):766. doi:10.3390/biom13050766Babaahmadi M, Tayebi B, Gholipour NM, et al.Rheumatoid arthritis: the old issue, the new therapeutic approach.Stem Cell Res Ther. 2023;14(1):268. doi:10.1186/s13287-023-03473-7Bhamra MS, Gondal I, Amarnani A, et al.Ocular manifestations of rheumatoid arthritis: implications of recent clinical trials.Int J Clin Res Trials. 2019;4(2):139. doi:10.15344/2456-8007/2019/139NIH Director’s Blog.Connecting the dots: oral infection to rheumatoid arthritis.Figus FA, Piga M, Azzolin I, McConnell R, Iagnocco A.Rheumatoid arthritis: extra-articular manifestations and comorbidities.Autoimmun Rev. 2021;20(4):102776.doi:10.1016/j.autrev.2021.102776Guellec D, Cozien S, Ruyssen-Witrand A, Dieudé P, Saraux A.Prevalence and clinical significance of extra-articular manifestations at diagnosis in the ESPOIR cohort with recent-onset arthritis.Semin Arthritis Rheum. 2020;50(3):409-413. doi:10.1016/j.semarthrit.2020.01.004Kapoor T, Bathon J.Renal manifestations of rheumatoid arthritis.Rheum Dis Clin North Am. 2018;44(4):571-584. doi:10.1016/j.rdc.2018.06.008Løppenthin K, Esbensen BA, Østergaard M, Ibsen R, Kjellberg J, Jennum P.Morbidity and mortality in patients with rheumatoid arthritis compared with an age- and sex-matched control population: a nationwide register study.J Comorb. 2019;9:2235042X19853484. doi:10.1177/2235042X19853484Alpízar-Rodríguez D, Pluchino N, Canny G, Gabay C, Finckh A.The role of female hormonal factors in the development of rheumatoid arthritis.Rheumatology. 2017;56(8):1254-1263. doi:10.1093/rheumatology/kew318Hospital for Special Surgery.Early rheumatoid arthritis treatment and medications update.Fraenkel L, Bathon JM, England BR, et al.2021 American College of Rheumatology guideline for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis.ArthritisRheumatol. 2021;73(7):1108-1123. doi:10.1002/art.41752Yılmaz V, Umay E, Gündoğdu İ, Karaahmet ZÖ, Öztürk AE.Rheumatoid arthritis: are psychological factors effective in disease flare?Eur J Rheumatol. 2017;4(2):127-132. doi:10.5152/eurjrheum.2017.16100UpToDate.Diagnosis and differential diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Osteoarthritis.Lwin MN, Serhal L, Holroyd C, Edwards CJ.Rheumatoid arthritis: the impact of mental health on disease: A narrative review.Rheumatol Ther. 2020;7(3):457-471.doi:10.1007/s40744-020-00217-4Chang K, Yang SM, Kim SH, et al.Smoking and rheumatoid arthritis.Int J Mol Sci. 2014;15(12):22279-22295. doi:10.3390/ijms151222279
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
American College of Rheumatology.Rheumatoid arthritis.Johns Hopkins Arthritis Center.Rheumatoid arthritis symptoms.Alpay-Kanıtez N, Çelik S, Bes C.Polyarthritis and its differential diagnosis.Eur J Rheumatol. 2018;6(4):167-173. doi:10.5152/eurjrheum.2019.19145Hospital for Specific Surgery.Living with inflammatory arthritis.Donnelly S, Manning M, Mannan H, Wilson AG, Kroll T.Renegotiating dimensions of the self: a systematic review and qualitative evidence synthesis of the livedexperience of self‐managing rheumatoid arthritis.Health Expectations. 2020;23(6):1388-1411. doi:10.1111/hex.13122Verma MK, Sobha K.Understanding the major risk factors in the beginning and the progression of rheumatoid arthritis: current scenario and future prospects.Inflamm Res. 2015;64(9):647-659. doi:10.1007/s00011-015-0843-8.Reed E, Hedström AK, Hansson M, et al.Presence of autoantibodies in “seronegative” rheumatoid arthritis associates with classical risk factors and high disease activity.Arthritis Res Ther. 2020;22(1):170. doi:10.1186/s13075-020-02191-2Zhu M, Ding Q, Lin Z, et al.New targets and strategies for rheumatoid arthritis: from signal transduction to epigenetic aspect.Biomolecules. 2023;13(5):766. doi:10.3390/biom13050766Babaahmadi M, Tayebi B, Gholipour NM, et al.Rheumatoid arthritis: the old issue, the new therapeutic approach.Stem Cell Res Ther. 2023;14(1):268. doi:10.1186/s13287-023-03473-7Bhamra MS, Gondal I, Amarnani A, et al.Ocular manifestations of rheumatoid arthritis: implications of recent clinical trials.Int J Clin Res Trials. 2019;4(2):139. doi:10.15344/2456-8007/2019/139NIH Director’s Blog.Connecting the dots: oral infection to rheumatoid arthritis.Figus FA, Piga M, Azzolin I, McConnell R, Iagnocco A.Rheumatoid arthritis: extra-articular manifestations and comorbidities.Autoimmun Rev. 2021;20(4):102776.doi:10.1016/j.autrev.2021.102776Guellec D, Cozien S, Ruyssen-Witrand A, Dieudé P, Saraux A.Prevalence and clinical significance of extra-articular manifestations at diagnosis in the ESPOIR cohort with recent-onset arthritis.Semin Arthritis Rheum. 2020;50(3):409-413. doi:10.1016/j.semarthrit.2020.01.004Kapoor T, Bathon J.Renal manifestations of rheumatoid arthritis.Rheum Dis Clin North Am. 2018;44(4):571-584. doi:10.1016/j.rdc.2018.06.008Løppenthin K, Esbensen BA, Østergaard M, Ibsen R, Kjellberg J, Jennum P.Morbidity and mortality in patients with rheumatoid arthritis compared with an age- and sex-matched control population: a nationwide register study.J Comorb. 2019;9:2235042X19853484. doi:10.1177/2235042X19853484Alpízar-Rodríguez D, Pluchino N, Canny G, Gabay C, Finckh A.The role of female hormonal factors in the development of rheumatoid arthritis.Rheumatology. 2017;56(8):1254-1263. doi:10.1093/rheumatology/kew318Hospital for Special Surgery.Early rheumatoid arthritis treatment and medications update.Fraenkel L, Bathon JM, England BR, et al.2021 American College of Rheumatology guideline for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis.ArthritisRheumatol. 2021;73(7):1108-1123. doi:10.1002/art.41752Yılmaz V, Umay E, Gündoğdu İ, Karaahmet ZÖ, Öztürk AE.Rheumatoid arthritis: are psychological factors effective in disease flare?Eur J Rheumatol. 2017;4(2):127-132. doi:10.5152/eurjrheum.2017.16100UpToDate.Diagnosis and differential diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Osteoarthritis.Lwin MN, Serhal L, Holroyd C, Edwards CJ.Rheumatoid arthritis: the impact of mental health on disease: A narrative review.Rheumatol Ther. 2020;7(3):457-471.doi:10.1007/s40744-020-00217-4Chang K, Yang SM, Kim SH, et al.Smoking and rheumatoid arthritis.Int J Mol Sci. 2014;15(12):22279-22295. doi:10.3390/ijms151222279
American College of Rheumatology.Rheumatoid arthritis.
Johns Hopkins Arthritis Center.Rheumatoid arthritis symptoms.
Alpay-Kanıtez N, Çelik S, Bes C.Polyarthritis and its differential diagnosis.Eur J Rheumatol. 2018;6(4):167-173. doi:10.5152/eurjrheum.2019.19145
Hospital for Specific Surgery.Living with inflammatory arthritis.
Donnelly S, Manning M, Mannan H, Wilson AG, Kroll T.Renegotiating dimensions of the self: a systematic review and qualitative evidence synthesis of the livedexperience of self‐managing rheumatoid arthritis.Health Expectations. 2020;23(6):1388-1411. doi:10.1111/hex.13122
Verma MK, Sobha K.Understanding the major risk factors in the beginning and the progression of rheumatoid arthritis: current scenario and future prospects.Inflamm Res. 2015;64(9):647-659. doi:10.1007/s00011-015-0843-8.
Reed E, Hedström AK, Hansson M, et al.Presence of autoantibodies in “seronegative” rheumatoid arthritis associates with classical risk factors and high disease activity.Arthritis Res Ther. 2020;22(1):170. doi:10.1186/s13075-020-02191-2
Zhu M, Ding Q, Lin Z, et al.New targets and strategies for rheumatoid arthritis: from signal transduction to epigenetic aspect.Biomolecules. 2023;13(5):766. doi:10.3390/biom13050766
Babaahmadi M, Tayebi B, Gholipour NM, et al.Rheumatoid arthritis: the old issue, the new therapeutic approach.Stem Cell Res Ther. 2023;14(1):268. doi:10.1186/s13287-023-03473-7
Bhamra MS, Gondal I, Amarnani A, et al.Ocular manifestations of rheumatoid arthritis: implications of recent clinical trials.Int J Clin Res Trials. 2019;4(2):139. doi:10.15344/2456-8007/2019/139
NIH Director’s Blog.Connecting the dots: oral infection to rheumatoid arthritis.
Figus FA, Piga M, Azzolin I, McConnell R, Iagnocco A.Rheumatoid arthritis: extra-articular manifestations and comorbidities.Autoimmun Rev. 2021;20(4):102776.doi:10.1016/j.autrev.2021.102776
Guellec D, Cozien S, Ruyssen-Witrand A, Dieudé P, Saraux A.Prevalence and clinical significance of extra-articular manifestations at diagnosis in the ESPOIR cohort with recent-onset arthritis.Semin Arthritis Rheum. 2020;50(3):409-413. doi:10.1016/j.semarthrit.2020.01.004
Kapoor T, Bathon J.Renal manifestations of rheumatoid arthritis.Rheum Dis Clin North Am. 2018;44(4):571-584. doi:10.1016/j.rdc.2018.06.008
Løppenthin K, Esbensen BA, Østergaard M, Ibsen R, Kjellberg J, Jennum P.Morbidity and mortality in patients with rheumatoid arthritis compared with an age- and sex-matched control population: a nationwide register study.J Comorb. 2019;9:2235042X19853484. doi:10.1177/2235042X19853484
Alpízar-Rodríguez D, Pluchino N, Canny G, Gabay C, Finckh A.The role of female hormonal factors in the development of rheumatoid arthritis.Rheumatology. 2017;56(8):1254-1263. doi:10.1093/rheumatology/kew318
Hospital for Special Surgery.Early rheumatoid arthritis treatment and medications update.
Fraenkel L, Bathon JM, England BR, et al.2021 American College of Rheumatology guideline for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis.ArthritisRheumatol. 2021;73(7):1108-1123. doi:10.1002/art.41752
Yılmaz V, Umay E, Gündoğdu İ, Karaahmet ZÖ, Öztürk AE.Rheumatoid arthritis: are psychological factors effective in disease flare?Eur J Rheumatol. 2017;4(2):127-132. doi:10.5152/eurjrheum.2017.16100
UpToDate.Diagnosis and differential diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Osteoarthritis.
Lwin MN, Serhal L, Holroyd C, Edwards CJ.Rheumatoid arthritis: the impact of mental health on disease: A narrative review.Rheumatol Ther. 2020;7(3):457-471.doi:10.1007/s40744-020-00217-4
Chang K, Yang SM, Kim SH, et al.Smoking and rheumatoid arthritis.Int J Mol Sci. 2014;15(12):22279-22295. doi:10.3390/ijms151222279
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