RESEARCH - RA may be up in women

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Rheumatoid Arthritis May Be Up in Women

New Study Suggests an Increase in RA Cases Among Women

By Kathleen Doheny

WebMD Health News

Reviewed by Louise Chang, MD

Oct. 27, 2008

Rheumatoid arthritis appears to be increasing among women, but not

men, after 40 years of decline, according to Mayo Clinic researchers.

" We don't know why, " says Hilal Maradit-Kremers, MD, associate

professor of epidemiology at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., who

is presenting the finding this week at the annual meeting of the

American College of Rheumatology and the Association of Rheumatology

Health Professionals in San Francisco.

She suspects an environmental factor, possibly hormonal, she tells WebMD.

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an inflammatory arthritis triggered by

the immune system. RA most often affects the small joints in the hands

and feet, causing pain, stiffness, swelling, and limitations of

movement. Treatment includes medication and physical therapy.

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http://www.webmd.com/rheumatoid-arthritis/news/20081027/rheumatoid-arthritis-may\

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