- Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disease in which the immune system attacks the synovial membrane located in the body’s joints. – It affects more pre-menopausal women than men, but affects postmenopausal women at approximately the same rate as men. – Rheumatoid arthritis is characterized by symmetrical inflammation of joints that can result in damage [...]

Arthritis means, strictly, inflammation of the joints. The condition occurs in many different forms. Sometimes germs get into joints, such as the germs of scarlet fever, gonorrhea, tuberculosis, or the streptococci. These definite infections of joints should be distinguished from what is called rheumatoid arthritis. The exact cause of rheumatoid arthritis is not known. Among [...]