The Incidence of Anemia in Patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis

Abstract

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an autoimmune, systemic disease that affects the joints. In RA, the body’s immune system destroy body’s tissue for a foreign invader. This leads immune system to attack the protective cushion of tissue and fluid between the joints. The result is swelling, stiffness, and pain in the joint. The body’s misfiring immune system also may go after the body’s soft tissues, like cartilage, and organs such as the heart, eyes, and veins. Ultimately, RA can cause permanent damage, disability, and anemia. Evaluation of progress in RA and anemia control at the population level is increasingly important. It is not only a medical but also an economic issue, since the onset of the disease in most common cases is observed in people of working age [1,2].