RHEUMATOID
ARTHRITIS – SCI & TECH
News:
Can rheumatoid arthritis be prevented?
What's
in the news?
●
Recently,
The Lancet published the results of a
study that proposed to repurpose an existing drug to treat rheumatoid arthritis
as prophylaxis, to prevent disease.
Rheumatoid
Arthritis:
●
It
is an autoimmune and inflammatory
disease, which means that your immune system attacks healthy cells in your
body by mistake, causing inflammation (painful swelling) in the affected parts
of the body.
●
It mainly attacks the joints, usually many joints and commonly affects joints
in the hands, wrists, and knees.
●
The lining of the joint becomes inflamed,
causing damage to joint tissue. This tissue damage can cause long-lasting or
chronic pain, unsteadiness (lack of balance), and deformity (misshapenness).
●
It can also affect other tissues
throughout the body and cause problems in organs such as the lungs, heart, and
eyes.
Cause:
●
It is the result of an immune response in
which the body’s immune system attacks
its own healthy cells. The specific causes of RA are unknown, but some
factors can increase the risk of developing the disease.
Treatment:
●
It can be effectively treated and managed
with medication(s) and self-management strategies.
●
It usually includes the use of medications
that slow disease and prevent joint deformity, called disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs).