Rheumatoid arthritis (RA)
Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic autoimmune and inflammatory disease characterized by severe joint inflammation that results in destructive bone erosions. It is different from the wear-and-tear damage of osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis damages the lining of human joints resulting in a painful swelling that may eventually lead to bone erosion and joint deformity.
Trend
Around 0.1-2.0% of the population is affected by rheumatoid arthritis globally, with a slightly increased prevalence, from 229.6 per 100,000 population in 1990 to 246.6 per 100,000 population in 2017. Though people can get rheumatoid arthritis at any age, the first onset of the disease is more likely between ages 30 and 50 and is frequently found in females than males.
Cause
Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disease affecting our joints. The immune system normally helps defend the human body against illness and infection. The immune system attacks healthy tissue in the joints when people get rheumatoid arthritis.
Objective measurements of physical activity and sedentary behaviour in patients with rheumatoid arthritis revealed that these patients spend a large portion of their day in sedentary behaviours. Low physical activity may lower the immune system's function and heighten chronic inflammation, thus enhancing the risk of rheumatism arthritis.
Risk Factors
Early studies indicated that the female sex hormone (estrogen) has an immunoenhancing effect on the immune system. This stronger immune reactivity in females helps in increasing an effective defence against infection, making them less susceptible to viral infections, yet it can also lead to immune-pathogenic consequences and an increased risk of autoimmunity due to overactive immune responses. Therefore, the women population would have a higher incidence rate of rheumatoid arthritis.
Hormonal factor
Though rheumatoid arthritis is closely related to a number of immune cell types, and each kind of immune cell plays a unique role in the development of this disease, the concrete mechanism leading to this process is still unclear.
Sedentary lifestyle
Consequences
Nearly any joint in the body can be impacted by rheumatoid arthritis, which frequently manifests in the fingers, hands, and feet. Typically, both sides of the same joint, such as both knees, are affected. This condition mainly targets the joint lining named the synovium. In rheumatoid arthritis, the thickened and expanded synovium (pannus) will invade the periarticular bone, causing bony erosions and cartilage degeneration. This can lead to stiffness, pain, and a loss of mobility in joints. Also, rheumatoid arthritis can cause the bones to lose density, making the bones thinner and more brittle. As a result, the likelihood of fractures may be increased.
Prevention
It has been shown that rheumatoid arthritis patients exercise less than their healthy counterparts; in some countries, more than 80% of rheumatoid arthritis patients are physically sedentary. It is thus suggested to do more exercise to improve and strengthen the immune system.
Do exercise frequently
According to one study, smokers have around double the risk of having rheumatoid arthritis compared to non-smokers because smoking can harm the immune system by triggering inflammation and compromising the pathogen-killing ability of cells in the innate immunity