Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic disease. RA mainly involves inflammation of the joints. It also often causes fatigue and a general feeling of being unwell. Some people with RA may have anemia (a low number of red blood cells). Less often, RA can affect other parts of the body, such as the eyes, blood vessels, heart, and lungs.

The course of RA varies from person to person. Most often, however, the disease worsens over time unless disease activity is controlled.

If RA is not controlled or does not respond well to treatment, joint damage may occur. Inflammation slowly weakens and erodes the cartilage and bone at the joints. Over time, joint damage may lead to deformity and potential loss of function of the joints. Once joint damage has occurred, it cannot be reversed, even if RA becomes inactive.

Research shows that joint damage usually begins in the first 2 years that a person has RA. For this reason, experts on RA recommend getting active RA under control as early as possible. Studies also show that early treatment with certain types of drugs can often slow or prevent joint damage. These drugs are known as DMARDs (disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs).

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