Abstract

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a systemic, inflammatory chronic disease affecting approximately 0.5% of the population in the world. RA is commonly occurs in women at any age, with peak incidence at ages 50 to 60 years. The mainly prominent feature is symmetrical joint swelling in feet, hands and knees. RA is a clinical syndrome encompassing numerous disease subsets, each concerning inflammatory cascades that usually lead to joint and organ damage if left untreated. The diagnosis is made upon a pattern of symptoms and physical examination findings, with and often without any radiographic or serologic abnormalities. Although progressive disability and a shortened lifespan were seen in the past, the outlook has improved substantially over the past 2 decades. These improvements are the result of earlier diagnosis, aggressive proactive (rather than reactive) treatment, widespread use of methotrexate, availability of biological agents, and perhaps a secular trend to milder disease (Van Nies et al., 2010).

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