Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic autoimmune disease in which the immune system attacks the synovial lining of the joints and sustains persistent inflammation in them. The involvement is usually symmetric and starts in the small joints of the hands and feet, and without treatment it gradually destroys cartilage and bone.
RA is not only a joint disease. Systemic inflammation raises inflammatory markers, accelerates atherosclerosis and markedly increases cardiovascular risk, which makes it relevant to active longevity too.
How it presents
The classic sign is morning joint stiffness lasting longer than 30–60 minutes that eases with movement. Typical is symmetric inflammation of the metacarpophalangeal and proximal interphalangeal joints and the wrists; the joints are swollen, warm and tender.
RA develops more often in women (2–3 times more often than in men), frequently after age 50–60, though it can occur at any age. Besides the joints, extra-articular manifestations occur: rheumatoid nodules, lung involvement, dry eyes and the anemia of chronic inflammation.
Tests and diagnosis
The diagnosis is made from the totality of findings; no single test exists. Rheumatoid factor (RF) is measured — found in 80–90% of patients but not strictly specific — and antibodies to cyclic citrullinated peptide (anti-CCP / ACPA), whose specificity is about 95% and whose positive result predicts a more aggressive, erosive course.
Inflammatory activity is reflected by C-reactive protein (and its high-sensitivity variant hs-CRP) and the ESR. By the 2010 ACR/EULAR classification criteria, RA is likely when the score totals ≥6 (taking into account the number and size of joints, serology, acute-phase markers and symptom duration ≥6 weeks).
Why it matters for longevity
The chronic systemic inflammation of RA damages vessels and raises oxidative stress, and the autoimmune process itself links RA to other autoimmune diseases — for example, ulcerative colitis, Crohn's disease and autoimmune thyroiditis.
Early treatment with disease-modifying drugs (methotrexate as first line) and, when needed, biologic agents not only preserves the joints but also lowers the accompanying cardiovascular risk. Biomarker calculators help track the overall inflammatory and metabolic burden.
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Calculators where Rheumatoid arthritis is used directly:
Frequently asked questions
Are rheumatoid arthritis and "salt deposits" the same thing?
No. RA is autoimmune inflammation of the synovial lining, not a deposition of salts. It differs from osteoarthritis by its symmetry, prolonged morning stiffness and positive anti-CCP/RF and acute-phase markers.
Can the diagnosis be made from rheumatoid factor alone?
No. RF can be positive in infections and in healthy older people, and in some RA patients it is negative. The diagnosis is made from the clinical picture, anti-CCP, CRP/ESR and the ACR/EULAR criteria, not from a single test.