Rheumatoid Arthritis Long-Term Prognosis

Rheumatoid arthritis is a form of arthritis that causes inflammation in the joints in the hands and feet. This autoimmune disease often causes your health to become progressively worse because it permanently damages bones, cartilage and joints, according to the Mayo Clinic.

Prognosis

• Rheumatoid arthritis often shortens lives between three and seven years. Severe forms of rheumatoid arthritis can shorten a life by 10 to 15 years, according to MedlinePlus.

Effects

• Rheumatoid arthritis causes some people to no longer be able to work, dress and/or eat without assistance, according to the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases and MedlinePlus.

Symptoms

• People with rheumatoid arthritis often experience inflammation in their joints, joint pain, fatigue, skin nodules, itching and burning eyes, swollen glands, a fever and/or weight loss. Rheumatoid arthritis can cause people to develop permanently damaged joints one to two years after they are diagnosed with the disease, according to MedlinePlus. Sometimes symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis go away in a period of months or years, but symptoms often flare up again, according to the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases.

Risks

• Rheumatoid arthritis puts people at an increased risk for heart disease, depression, Sjogren's syndrome, anemia, Felty's syndrome, lung problems and/or vasculitis, according to an article by rheumatologist William Shiel, Jr., on MedicineNet.

Treatment

• People with rheumatoid arthritis often need to undergo treatment for the rest of their lives, according to MedlinePlus. Corticosteroids, disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs and immunosuppressants are used to reduce pain and/or slow joint degradation in patients with rheumatoid arthritis. Patients with severe forms of rheumatoid arthritis sometimes can undergo surgery to have damaged joints removed or replaced.