• People with RA are more likely to have narrowed or blocked arteries in the brain – the result of systemic inflammation. This can cause problems with memory, thinking and reasoning.
Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is associated with various nonarticular manifestations, including a range of neurologic abnormalities, such as cervical spine instability, compressive neuropathy (eg, of the median nerve at the wrist, which results in carpal tunnel syndrome [CTS]), and an often subclinical sensory or ...
Conclusion In a large nationwide population-based cohort, RA was associated with an increased risk of incident dementia. Appropriate evaluation of dementia is required when cognitive impairment occurs in RA patients. Further studies are warranted to identify mechanisms of increased risk of dementia in RA patients.
Many people with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) report having trouble thinking clearly, problems with memory, and difficulty concentrating. These symptoms, known as brain fog, can occur in people with chronic inflammatory conditions, including RA, Sjogren's syndrome, and multiple sclerosis.
MRI can clearly identify some of the signs of osteoarthritis, including whether cartilage is wearing away. MRI can also detect signs of rheumatoid arthritis, but a doctor will also use a variety of other tests, such as blood tests. Doctors can distinguish between soft tissues and fluids using MRI.
Neurologists can help set a reasonable expectation about what their rheumatic brethren can achieve. “My drugs can often halt the progress of a rheumatic disease, but [the treatments] can't walk back damage that has already taken place [in the body], and they often take months to start working,” Dr. Seo says.
Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is best known for causing painful, swollen joints. But many people with RA say they also have to deal with symptoms like forgetfulness, trouble concentrating, and difficulty thinking clearly.
A study published in July 2018 in Arthritis Care & Research found that people who have rheumatoid arthritis (RA) are more likely to experience depression, anxiety, and bipolar disorder in their lifetimes than those who have not been diagnosed with the autoimmune disease.
End-stage rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an advanced stage of disease in which there is severe joint damage and destruction in the absence of ongoing inflammation.
RA can also affect other tissues throughout the body and cause problems in organs such as the lungs, heart, and eyes.
Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune condition, which means it's caused by the immune system attacking healthy body tissue. However, it's not yet known what triggers this. Your immune system normally makes antibodies that attack bacteria and viruses, helping to fight infection.
Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic inflammatory disorder that can affect more than just your joints. In some people, the condition can damage a wide variety of body systems, including the skin, eyes, lungs, heart and blood vessels.
If you have rheumatoid arthritis, you're at a higher risk of developing cardiovascular disease (CVD). CVD is a general term that describes conditions affecting the heart or blood vessels, and it includes life-threatening problems such as heart attack and stroke.
This is end-stage RA, when joints no longer work as they should. In end-stage RA, people may still experience pain, swelling, stiffness, and mobility loss. There may be lower muscle strength. The joints may experience destruction, and the bones may fuse (ankylosis).
It's possible to live a long life with RA, but it is estimated that the disease can potentially reduce life expectancy by 3 to 10 years.
RA is a chronic condition with no known cure. People do not die from RA. However, it can lead to serious complications that can compromise overall health. A person with RA may have a reduced life expectancy.
Without appropriate treatment, chronic pain, disability, and excess mortality are unfortunate outcomes of this disease. RA causes joint damage in 80% to 85% of patients, with the brunt of the damage occurring during the first 2 years of the disease. Left untreated, the risk of mortality is increased.
People with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) may appear to age faster than those who don't have the disease, but in reality, this may just be a reflection of the fact people with RA have shorter life expectancies, according to one study in Arthritis & Rheumatology.
RA is a very serious autoimmune disease, in which your immune system mistakenly attacks your own body's tissues and causes severe joint pain, stiffness, severe fatigue, and sometimes deformity, usually in the hands, shoulders, knees, and/or feet.
Research proves that dogs are sensitive to physiological cues that are not obvious to us humans. Such cues include skin temperature and unusual scents. A painful joint with arthritis has increased heat and may emit inflammatory odors; odors that are undetectable to us humans, but scents our dogs can detect.
This joint pain can be so intense that it interferes with your ability to sleep well. RA sleep-related troubles can include not being able to fall asleep or sleep long enough, having fragmented sleep or frequent awakenings, or having sleep that leaves you feeling unrefreshed in the morning.
Imaging tests
Your doctor may recommend X-rays to help track the progression of rheumatoid arthritis in your joints over time. MRI and ultrasound tests can help your doctor judge the severity of the disease in your body.