Rheumatoid Arthritis - Rheumatology

Course Summary

Rheumatoid arthritis involves inflammation that often leads to major pain and disability. Autoantibodies contribute to the disease process of synovial inflammation and joint damage for those afflicted. Symptoms include pain at the sight of inflammation as well as more generalized feelings of fatigue, loss of appetite and low-grade fever. Therapies for rheumatoid arthritis may be individualized but typically focus on the suppression of synovial inflammation and joint damage. While the following sections focus on the more common approaches of diagnosis and treatment, additional areas of research and study are highlighted related to disease etiology, progression and lifestyle choices.