Excerpt
OCCUPATIONAL EXPOSURES AND RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS
Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is the most common of the systemic autoimmune diseases, affecting at least 1% of the total population, and 2% to 3% of people over age 60 years1. Recent research focusing on the risk of cardiovascular disease in RA and other conditions resulting in chronic systemic inflammation2 raises new challenges for successful longterm disease management. Is prevention of systemic autoimmune diseases an option? The relatively low contribution of genetic factors in RA compared with some other autoimmune diseases3, and the declining incidence rates seen in several populations1, would suggest the answer to that…
