How common is rheumatoid arthritis?
Rheumatoid arthritis affects up to 1% of adults.
- Rheumatoid arthritis affects women two to three times as often as men.1
- Rheumatoid arthritis can begin at any age, but most often begins between the ages of 40 and 60.1
- While rheumatoid arthritis occurs in all racial and ethnic groups, over 5% of certain Native Americans (the Chippewa and Pima Tribes) have the disease.2
It tends to be worse in smokers than in nonsmokers.
The only known risk factor for rheumatoid arthritis is a possible inherited factor in some families (genetic predisposition). A genetic factor may affect how the immune system functions, causing inflammation and eventual destruction of the membranes lining the joints.
| Author: | Shannon Erstad, MBA/MPH | Last Updated: August 18, 2008 |
| Medical Review: | Anne C. Poinier, MD - Internal Medicine Stanford M. Shoor, MD - Rheumatology | |
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