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Introduction to Rheumatoid Arthritis
Risk Factors for Rheumatoid Arthritis
Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a relatively common condition affecting approximately 0.8% of the adult population worldwide. It is estimated that about 2.1 million people in the United States suffer from rheumatoid arthritis. Most people develop the disease between the ages of 30-50 and the disease affects women about 2-3 times more often than men. According to the American College of Rheumatology, RA acounts for about 9 million physician office visits and about 250,000 hospitalizations each year.
A risk factor is anything that increases the chances of a person developing a disease or condition. Risk factors for rheumatoid arthritis (RA) include:
Advancing Age - The risk for developing RA increases with age with most people being diagnosed in the 30-50 age group. The disease rarely occurs in men under 30 years of age.
Gender - The risk for developing RA is about 2-3 times higher for women than for men. For unknown reasons, pregnant women with RA generally experience an improvement in symptoms, however, the symptoms tend to recur shortly after childbirth.
Family history of RA - Studies have shown that close relatives of people with RA are at increased risk for developing the condition.
Rheumatoid factor - People who test positive for an autoantibody called rheumatoid factor (RF), which can be detected by a blood test, are at increased risk for developing RA. In fact, RF is used as a marker for diagnosing RA as well as for predicting the progression and outcome of the disease (prognostic marker).
Smoking - People who smoke cigarettes are about 2-4 times more likely to develop RA than nonsmokers.
Coffee - The relationship between coffee consumption and RA is unclear. While some studies suggest that coffee consumption increases the risk of RA other studies refute this claim.
