Can a healthy person get rheumatoid arthritis?
Rheumatoid arthritis can occur at any age, but it most commonly begins in middle age. Family history. If a member of your family has rheumatoid arthritis, you may have an increased risk of the disease.
What age does RA usually start?
You can get rheumatoid arthritis (RA) at any age, but it’s most likely to show up between ages 30 and 50. When it starts between ages 60 and 65, it’s called elderly-onset RA or late-onset RA. Elderly-onset RA is different from RA that starts in earlier years.
At what age does arthritis usually start?
It most commonly starts among people between the ages of 40 and 60. It’s more common in women than men. There are drugs that can slow down an over-active immune system and therefore reduce the pain and swelling in joints.
How do you diagnose rheumatoid arthritis early?
Rheumatoid arthritis can be difficult to diagnose in its early stages because the early signs and symptoms mimic those of many other diseases. There is no one blood test or physical finding to confirm the diagnosis. During the physical exam, your doctor will check your joints for swelling, redness and warmth.
How does rheumatoid arthritis affect more than joints?
Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic inflammatory disorder that can affect more than just your joints. In some people, the condition also can damage a wide variety of body systems, including the skin, eyes, lungs, heart and blood vessels.
What causes elevated rheumatoid factor?
But a number of other diseases and conditions can raise rheumatoid factor levels, including: Cancer. Chronic infections. Inflammatory lung diseases, such as sarcoidosis. Mixed connective tissue disease.
What is the prognosis for rheumatoid arthritis?
An exact life expectancy is almost impossible to predict due to the varying nature of the disease. In general, patients can expect that the rheumatoid arthritis life expectancy could be shortened by roughly 10 years to as many as 15 years.