How Common Is Rheumatoid Arthritis?

Rheumatoid arthritis affects up to 1% of adults.

• Rheumatoid arthritis affects women two to three times as often as men.¹
• Rheumatoid arthritis can begin at any age, but most often begins between the ages of 40 and 60.¹
• While rheumatoid arthritis occurs in all racial and ethnic groups, over 5% of certain Native Americans (the Chippewa and Pima Tribes) have the disease.²

It tends to be worse in smokers than in nonsmokers.

The only known risk factor for rheumatoid arthritis is a possible inherited factor in some families (genetic predisposition). A genetic factor may affect how the immune system functions, causing inflammation and eventual destruction of the membranes lining the joints.

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