Rheumatoid Arthritis Research

Research into the causes and treatments of rheumatoid arthritis is producing exciting results and hope for the future. New information and ways of studying genetics promises to shed more light on what causes or triggers diseases like rheumatoid arthritis.

Most researchers agree that rheumatoid arthritis triggers in people with a predisposition to the disease. But what causes the trigger and what gene is "responsible" for the predisposition? With this information there is hope that scientists can predict a possible occurrence of rheumatoid arthritis and prevent the "trigger" from happening.

Since rheumatoid arthritis occurs more often in women than in men, research is being done to study the hormones and how these might affect rheumatoid arthritis. Some studies have already linked some forms of arthritis to lower estrogen levels in women due either to drugs which lower estrogen (such as breast cancer drugs) or to menopausal estrogen decreases. More information on the physiological differences between men and women should prove helpful in rheumatoid arthritis research.

Rheumatoid arthritis seems to have a "genetic predisposition". This has led researchers to establish registries for families with rheumatoid arthritis to help them track the disease in families. Scientists hope this leads them to new information about which genes are involved and how to test for the predisposition.

Research into rheumatoid arthritis and pregnancy is also being studied. Rheumatoid arthritis seems to go into remission during pregnancy while other forms of arthritis do not. Studies to determine why this happens may shed more light on the disease and how genetic factors play a part.

Rheumatoid arthritis is one of many "immune diseases" so research into the immune system and how it works may help scientists to discover why it sometimes goes awry and attacks "good" cells. Comparative research of immune diseases may also help researchers to find connections that will help all kinds of immune diseases.

And of course research is ongoing in the field of medications to find new ways to treat rheumatoid arthritis and to develop new drugs with fewer side effects.

The future for sufferers of rheumatoid arthritis is no longer as bleak as it once was. New discoveries are finding better treatments and ways to control the pain. As research continues perhaps someday the cause will be found leading to a way to eliminate the disease.