Do people die from rheumatoid arthritis?

Patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) know they face a higher risk of premature death as well as serious complications that come along with their ailment. In addition to increased ... Researchers also looked at heart disease deaths among 813 people without a rheumatic disease. ... How can we improve it? read more

Approximately 2 million people in the U.S. have rheumatoid arthritis, according to the CDC. Women are two to three times more likely to develop the disease than men, and most people have symptoms early in life -- between age 20 and 45. read more

"More research is needed to confirm why heart disease deaths among rheumatoid arthritis patients have declined, but potential factors include earlier and more vigilant screening for heart problems, improved treatment for heart disease and rheumatoid arthritis, and in general, more attention to heart health in patients with rheumatoid arthritis,” said Dr. Elena Myasoedova, Ph.D., a Mayo Clinic rheumatologist who was the lead author on the study. read more

It is why people with, for example RA suffer so badly from fatigue (not a well-understood phenomenon at all, but nearly ubiquitous in people with RA and the symptom that many people with RA find most debilitating). read more