The rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic disease of the immune system that affects people of all ages. Thus, of the more than 200,000 people with RA in Spain, two in three are women, mostly aged between 30 and 50 years.Worldwide, the disease affects five million people. In addition, the chronic nature of RA, together with an aging population, its prevalence may increase in the coming years. Dr. Carlos Cara, medical director of UCB, said: “Rheumatoid arthritis can affect both the level and social work and family.Therefore, when you consider the high prevalence among the female population, we see that it has a high impact on the quality of life of women, especially when they have to address several fronts away as a working woman, within in household chores and in their role as mothers. ”
Pain , stiffness, swelling and loss of mobility joint are the most common symptoms of this disease, which affects the joints more mobile, including hands, feet, wrists, shoulders, elbows, hips and knees. This leads, in some cases, a high psychological impact, especially among the female population being the most affected. Specifically, 43% of women who suffer from it have a low mood and about 7% suffer from anxiety or depression. In addition, there are still misconceptions about the AR, as that only older people suffer and not so serious, that rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis are the same or that the person who has it will probably have to stop working and eventually in a wheelchair hopelessly. These misconceptions have direct implications in patients from the point of view of psychology.
Originally posted 2013-04-08 13:15:35.