If you have rheumatoid arthritis, you're at a higher risk of developing cardiovascular disease (CVD). CVD is a general term that describes conditions affecting the heart or blood vessels, and it includes life-threatening problems such as heart attack and stroke.
Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) has many physical and social consequences and can lower quality of life. It can cause pain, disability, and premature death. Premature heart disease. People with RA are also at a higher risk for developing other chronic diseases such as heart disease and diabetes.
Key Points about Rheumatoid Arthritis
RA is a long-term (chronic disease) that causes joint inflammation. RA can also affect many nonjoint areas such as the lungs, heart, skin, nerves, muscles, blood vessels, and kidneys. RA may cause deformities in the joints of the finger, making movement difficult.
Joint pain and morning stiffness are the most common early warning signs of RA. The joint pain of RA has some unique characteristics that separate it from joint pain due to other causes. The characteristics of joint pain caused by RA are: Multiple joints are affected at once (typically more than three joints).
In the study, the median survival rate for healthy adults was approximately 82 years while the median survival rate for people with RA was approximately 77 years.
“If you are experiencing flares more frequently, usually manifesting as increased pain, stiffness, and swelling, your RA could be getting worse,” adds Dr. Ghosh. Stiffness that accompanies RA is most prominent after long periods of inactivity, such as in the morning after waking up, explains Dr. Ghosh.
The end stage of RA means that most of the tissue that was formerly inflamed has been destroyed, and bone erosion has occurred. The affected joints stop functioning and patients experience pain and severe loss of mobility.
Heart disease should be considered a serious cause for concern among people with RA, even those who've yet to reach middle age.
Researchers think it's caused by a combination of genetics, hormones and environmental factors. Normally, your immune system protects your body from disease. With rheumatoid arthritis, something triggers your immune system to attack your joints. An infection, smoking or physical or emotional stress may be triggering.
The most common eye-related symptom of rheumatoid arthritis is dryness. Dry eyes are prone to infection, and if untreated, severe dry eyes can cause damage to the cornea, the clear, dome-shaped surface of the eye that helps your eye focus.
Overexertion, poor sleep, stress or an infection like the flu can all set off RA symptoms. With a predictable flare you'll temporarily feel worse, but your symptoms will resolve in time. Unpredictable flares have more uncertainty associated with them.
If you have rheumatoid arthritis, you're at a higher risk of developing cardiovascular disease (CVD). CVD is a general term that describes conditions affecting the heart or blood vessels, and it includes life-threatening problems such as heart attack and stroke.
In rheumatoid arthritis (RA), a flare can be related to natural variations in the processes that cause inflammation. This means flares can vary in intensity, duration and frequency, but they're usually reversible — if treated promptly. For most people, the flare risk increases when treatments are tapered or stopped.
The symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis often develop gradually over several weeks, but some cases can progress quickly over a number of days. The symptoms vary from person to person. They can come and go, and may change over time.
Erosions of bone and destruction of cartilage, occur rapidly and may be seen within the first 2 years of the disease, but continue to develop over time (See picture below).
Take Your Medication
Medications to treat RA include: Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), such as ibuprofen. Corticosteroids, such as prednisone. Conventional DMARDs, which can slow RA progression and possibly save the joints from permanent damage.
Several nutritional supplements have shown promise for relieving pain, stiffness and other arthritis symptoms. Glucosamine and chondroitin, omega-3 fatty acids, SAM-e and curcumin are just some of the natural products researchers have studied for osteoarthritis (OA) and rheumatoid arthritis (RA).
Now, for the first time, we are seeing a biologic therapy, the first in the rheumatoid space, that offers two for the price of one. It's suppressing inflammation, but it's also helping pain, and that's very important to the patient.
Supplements. Research from 2017 also recommends people living with RA eat probiotic yogurt and spices like turmeric and ginger, which have anti-inflammatory properties. In fact, the results of multiple studies suggest that turmeric and curcumin can prevent and combat inflammation.
How can rheumatoid arthritis change your everyday life? It's common to have stiff and painful joints in the morning, making it difficult to get up and start the day. Everyday chores like cooking, laundry, cleaning, garden work and recreational activities can become a challenge as the disease progresses.