RA is a chronic inflammatory disorder affecting the joints and can be a condition which causes damage to a wide variety of the body systems, this autoimmune disorder happens when the immune system mistakenly attacks the body’s own tissues affecting the lining of the joints and this causes a painful swelling which can eventually result in joint deformity.
Early RA tends to attack and affect the smaller joints at the beginning, joints attaching hands to the fingers, and toes to the feet. As soon as the disease starts progressing, the symptoms spread to wrists, knees, ankles, hips and shoulders. Symptoms may vary in severity and may come and go.
Risk factors for this condition include: sex, age, family history, smoking, and obesity. Complications of this disease include the risk of developing into osteoporosis, infections, dry eyes and mouth, carpal tunnel syndrome and more.
Stem cells contribute to an effective rate in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis, and this percentage varies from person to another, based on the person’s immunity, gender, age, disease status and other factors.