Updated RA guidelines: Implications for self-care

摘要: R arthritis (RA) is a chronic in ammatory condition characterized by polyarticular joint ammation and pain, as well fever, fatigue, myalgias, loss of appetite.1 Extra-articular involvement may result pleuritis, vasculitis, rheumatoid nodules, conjunctivitis. The cause RA unknown, many drug therapies have been approved for treatment. These include synthetic, biologic, or nonbiologic disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs), which target the response through various mechanisms. Medications such NSAIDs corticosteroids are often used adjunctively to provide additional relief pain ammation. Given that considered incurable, optimizing therapy involves use available agents appropriate combination, sequence, timeframe prevent disease progression complications.2