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Rheumatoid Arthritis Research Paper

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Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) is an inflammatory disease that is classified as an autoimmune disorder. There have been new investigations that suggest that several factors such as genetics, environmental, hormonal, immunological and infectious factors may play a significant role in the risk of developing RA. (Theresa Capriotti, Joan parker Frizzell 212) Genetics are believed to be a factor in about 50% of developing cases of RA specifically the resistance and susceptibility genes PTPN22 and TRAF5. The infectious factor of RA is believed to be linked to Mycoplasma organisms, EBV, and rubella virus because synovial fluid of RA patients tend to show high levels of anaerobic bacterial antibodies. RA and the link to hormonal changes are currently …show more content…

RA can occur at any age although the occurrence of RA does increase with age and is 2 to 3 times more likely in females than in males. RA is commonly diagnosed with a combination of symptoms and abnormalities found in blood work because no single exam exists that can be used to confirm the diagnosis at the moment. The importance of educating patients to communicate any and all symptoms as simple as they may be is useful for physicians to confirm a diagnosis as some symptoms are present in RA and not in other diseases. RA is commonly found in the joints of the hands, feet, wrist, knees, and hips and always occurs in a symmetrical fashion which is different than for example Osteoarthritis which can occur in a nonsymmetrical …show more content…

Rheumatoid Arthritis is an inflammatory disease that with time can destroy joints and decline movement and function (Kahlenberg et al. 1). The inflammation that causes this disease can produce pain and stiffness of the joints. If the problem is not solved, deformity can occur as damage of the joints progress. Sometimes other organs can be affected as well, for example, Rheumatoid Arthritis can lead to cardiovascular problems and changes of the bone metabolism because of the chronic inflammation. In addition, Rheumatoid Arthritis is one of the most common types of arthritis that affect many people in the world. However, as time passes, new medications are been develop and have shown great improvement in the outcomes of the disease ( Kahlenberg et al. 1). In this overview, the pathology, signs and symptoms, treatment, and prognosis would be discussed to give a better understanding of how can Rheumatoid Arthritis affect the human

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