As you get older, it's normal to feel occasional joint pain or stiffness that comes and goes. But what if that awful early-morning stiffness won't ease up? If you're experiencing prolonged joint pain, or joints that are swollen, red, or feel hot, you may have rheumatoid arthritis (RA), a disease where part of your immune system attacks your joints. While experts don't fully understand what causes RA, they believe the disease is influenced by a combination of genetics and things in our environment.
Risk factors for rheumatoid arthritis (RA)
Here are seven risk factors for RA that may increase your chances of developing the inflammatory joint condition—or affect your disease progression if you already have it.
Genetics
People with a family history of RA are more likely to develop it, but not everyone with a genetic predisposition does, which suggests other environmental risk factors may play a role.
Environment
Research suggests a viral or bacterial infection can cause RA, but scientists have yet to conclude one single organism as the culprit. According to the latest science, potential rheumatoid arthritis triggers include E. coli, the Epstein-Barr virus, and the parvovirus.
Smoking
You may not be able to prevent RA, but you do have some control over the progression of the disease. Smoking—and exposure to secondhand smoke—are among the top RA risk factors. They may also increase the severity of RA in people who already have it.
Sex
Being a woman doesn't cause the disease, but your sex can be a significant risk factor for RA. Seventy-five percent of people with RA are women, making women two to three times more likely than men to develop RA. The reason for this is unclear, although there's some evidence that hormones—particularly estrogens—may play a role.
Reproductive and breastfeeding history
Women who've never had a live birth, have irregular cycles, or enter menopause early have a slight-to-moderately increased risk of RA. Studies have found that RA is less common among women who breastfeed.
Age
People between the ages of 30 and 60 are at a higher risk of developing RA, although it can happen at any age. The risk of RA, in both women and men, is highest for people in their 60s.
Ethnicity
Rheumatoid arthritis occurs in people of all ethnicities, but some American Indian and Alaskan Native populations have a significantly higher incidence of RA than other ethnic groups.
