Is rheumatoid arthritis hereditary?
by 
MamaBeeMinnie
ANSWERS: 5
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Arthritis means inflammation of the joints. Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a common form of arthritis. About 1 in 50 people develop RA at some stage in their life. It can happen to anyone, and it is not a hereditary disease. It can develop at any age, but most commonly starts in middle adult life (aged 40-60). It is three times more common in women than in men.
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RA is not hereditary, but particular genes can increase one's chance for developing the disease. Among 100 people with a mother, father, sister or brother with RA, up to 4 will also develop RA. In the general population about a 1 in 100 people develop RA. However, many people who carry the gene that increases the risk of RA never develop the disease Rusty http://arthritis-symptom.com/
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The previous post is true a person can develop it at any age. But there is a hereditary component to it. People who have family members with RA are more likely to develop it than those who do not. Just because you have family with it does not mean that you will get it. Rusty Editor http://arthritis-symptom.com/ For more information about RA http://arthritis-symptom.com/Rheumatoid-arthritis-symptoms/index.htm
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Some scientists believe that the tendency to develop rheumatoid arthritis may be genetically inherited. It is suspected that certain infections or factors in the environment might trigger the immune system to attack the body's own tissues, resulting in inflammation in various organs of the body such as the lungs or eyes. http://www.medicinenet.com/rheumatoid_arthritis/article.htm This is an autoimmune disease that affects only about 1% of the nation, not 1 in 100 people. Do not mistake it for arthritis or osteoarthritis. I have RA and run into a lot of people who do not understand that this is a disease, not that "thing that all old people get at some time in their life."
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It has not been definitely established yet whether it is hereditary or not, but occurrences are more likely in families, not guaranteed. It is likely a predisposition is inherited with an environmental factor triggering its development. At least 5 members of my family have developed it so far.
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