Women who suffer from early rheumatoid arthritis (RA) seem to experience functional deterioration more rapidly than men do, according to a study in the Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases. And in spite of improvement in the disease with medical treatment, more women than men still noticed a decrease in their ability to function.
A Swedish team of researchers followed RA patients for two years. They measured the extent of the disease using a variety of factors including range of motion, walking time, and a grading system for well-being and pain. Patients were also given a self-assessment to judge their ability to function. The research study examined changes over time and the differences in response between men and women.
Despite the fact that medication helped control joint damage in both genders, women were unable to function as well as men after one to two years.
2.1 Million Americans Have RA
According to data from the Arthritis Foundation, rheumatoid arthritis is one of the most common forms of arthritis, and affects 2.1 million Americans, mostly women. It is an autoimmune disease in which the immune system attacks joint tissue and causes inflammation and permanent joint damage.
The most common symptoms include inflammation of the joints, swelling, difficulty moving, and pain. Patients often experience pain and swelling of the same joints on both sides of the body. It usually starts in the hands or feet. Some patients also develop lumps, or rheumatoid nodules, under the skin.
It is important to get diagnosed early and to begin disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDs), according to the researchers. Studies have shown that if patients are treated early with this class of drugs, the condition can be controlled in many cases. The cause of rheumatoid arthritis is not yet known. |
