Abstract
Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic inflammatory disease of presumed autoimmune etiology that is characterized by symmetric inflammation of the synovial joints, which may lead to damage to the cartilage and bone and a progressive loss of function. The prevalence in Western adult populations is 0.5–1 % and it is relatively similar across Europe, North America, Asia, and South Africa. However, certain native American Indians, for example Pima Indians [1], have a higher prevalence and, in contrast, RA appears to be rare in some rural African black populations [2] although not in others [3]. The annual incidence is between 0.15 and 0.88 per 1000 and women are affected two or three times as often as men. RA occurs in all age groups with a peak of disease onset between 45 and 65 years of age [4].
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van Vollenhoven, R.F. (2016). Disease overview. In: Biologics for the Treatment of Rheumatoid Arthritis. Adis, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-13108-5_1
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-13108-5_1
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