Rheumatoid Arthritis | RA | MedlinePlus

Rheumatoid Arthritis | RA | MedlinePlus

Rheumatoid Arthritis

Also called: RA

MEDICAL ENCYCLOPEDIA

• Antimitochondrial antibody
• Antithyroid microsomal antibody
• C-reactive protein
• Caplan syndrome
• Collagen vascular disease
• Complement
• Complement component 3 (C3)
• Complement component 4
• Cryoglobulins
• Felty syndrome

Related Health Topics

• Ankylosing Spondylitis
• Arthritis
• Juvenile Arthritis

National Institutes of Health

The primary NIH organization for research on Rheumatoid Arthritis is the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases

NIH MedlinePlus Magazine

• Know the Difference: Rheumatoid Arthritis or Osteoarthritis?
• Matt Iseman: Rheumatoid Arthritis Warrior
• Rheumatoid Arthritis: "You Are Not Alone."
• Rheumatoid Arthritis: Reaching New Heights with Joint Disease
• Rheumatoid Arthritis: Understanding a Difficult Joint Disease
• Treating Rheumatoid Arthritis: Search for a Cure
• Understanding Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA): Research
• Understanding Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA): Treatment and Causes

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Summary

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a form of arthritis that causes pain, swelling, stiffness and loss of function in your joints. It can affect any joint but is common in the wrist and fingers.

More women than men get rheumatoid arthritis. It often starts in middle age and is most common in older people. You might have the disease for only a short time, or symptoms might come and go. The severe form can last a lifetime.

Rheumatoid arthritis is different from osteoarthritis, the common arthritis that often comes with older age. RA can affect body parts besides joints, such as your eyes, mouth and lungs. RA is an autoimmune disease, which means the arthritis results from your immune system attacking your body's own tissues.

No one knows what causes rheumatoid arthritis. Genes, environment, and hormones might contribute. Treatments include medicine, lifestyle changes, and surgery. These can slow or stop joint damage and reduce pain and swelling.

NIH: National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases

Start Here

• Painful Joints? Early Treatment for Rheumatoid Arthritis Is Key  (National Institutes of Health)Also in Spanish
• Rheumatoid Arthritis (American Academy of Family Physicians)Also in Spanish
• Rheumatoid Arthritis (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
• Rheumatoid Arthritis  (National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases)

Diagnosis and Tests

• ANA (Antinuclear Antibody) Test  (National Library of Medicine)Also in Spanish
• C-Reactive Protein (CRP) Test  (National Library of Medicine)Also in Spanish
• CCP (American Association for Clinical Chemistry)
• Erythrocyte Sedimentation Rate (ESR)  (National Library of Medicine)Also in Spanish
• Rheumatoid Factor (RF) Test  (National Library of Medicine)Also in Spanish
• Synovial Fluid Analysis (American Association for Clinical Chemistry)

Treatments and Therapies

• Joint Injection/Aspiration (American College of Rheumatology)Also in Spanish
• Joint Replacement Surgery: Health Information Basics for You and Your Family (National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases)Also in Spanish
• Rheumatoid Arthritis and Complementary Medicine: In Depth (National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health)

Living With

• Living with Arthritis (American Occupational Therapy Association) - PDF
• Rheumatoid Arthritis Diet: Can Certain Foods Reduce Symptoms?(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)Also in Spanish
• Rheumatoid Arthritis Pain: Tips for Protecting Your Joints(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)Also in Spanish

Related Issues

• Immune System and Its Link to Rheumatic Diseases (American College of Rheumatology)Also in Spanish
• Rheumatoid Arthritis: Can It Affect the Eyes? (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)Also in Spanish
• Rheumatoid Arthritis: Can It Affect the Lungs? (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)Also in Spanish
• What People with Rheumatoid Arthritis Need to Know about Osteoporosis (National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases)

Specifics

• Arthritis of the hand - Rheumatoid (American Society for Surgery of the Hand)
• Arthritis of the Shoulder (American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons)Also in Spanish
• Arthritis of the Wrist (American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons)
• Inflammatory Arthritis of the Hip (American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons)
• Palindromic Rheumatism: Does It Cause Joint Pain?(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)Also in Spanish
• Rheumatoid Arthritis of the Foot and Ankle (American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society)

Genetics

• Genetics Home Reference: rheumatoid arthritis  (National Library of Medicine)

Videos and Tutorials

• Rheumatoid Arthritis Educational Video Series  (Johns Hopkins Medicine)

Statistics and Research

• Arthritis by the Numbers: Book of Trusted Facts & Figures (Arthritis Foundation) - PDF
• Rheumatoid Arthritis  (National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases)

Clinical Trials

• ClinicalTrials.gov: Arthritis, Rheumatoid  (National Institutes of Health)

Journal ArticlesReferences and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)

• Article: A multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial evaluating the efficacy and safety... 
• Article: Effect of Magnetic Resonance Imaging vs Conventional Treat-to-Target Strategies on Disease... 
• Article: The effectiveness of Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy on the illness perception and... 
• Rheumatoid Arthritis -- see more articles 

Reference Desk

• Arthritis Glossary (Arthritis Foundation) - PDF

Find an Expert

• Arthritis Foundation: Local Office Directory (Arthritis Foundation)
• Find a Rheumatologist (American College of Rheumatology)
• National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases Also in Spanish

Women

• Pregnancy and Rheumatic Disease (American College of Rheumatology)Also in Spanish

Patient Handouts

• Collagen vascular disease (Medical Encyclopedia)Also in Spanish
• Felty syndrome (Medical Encyclopedia)Also in Spanish
• Rheumatoid arthritis (Medical Encyclopedia)Also in Spanish
• Rheumatoid factor (RF) (Medical Encyclopedia)Also in Spanish
• Rheumatoid lung disease (Medical Encyclopedia)Also in Spanish