Six doctors shed light on rheumatoid arthritis

SHARJAH: Six doctors said the association between rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and life-long illnesses as well as mental health disturbances could be snagged.

The six, whose basic advice, is not only being committed to healthy active living but also being prompt for medical consultations once pain and heat hit the joints, are Aster Hospital (Al Qusais, Dubai) Orthopaedics specialist Dr Ajith Jose, Dr Sulaiman Al Habib Hospital (Dubai)-orthopaedics and Sports Medicine Department head Dr Loiy Alkhatib, Adam Vital Hospital (Garhoud, Dubai) rheumatologist Dr Ehab Saad Mostafa Hasan, NMC Specialty Hospital (Dubai Investments Park) rheumatologist Dr Nibha Jain, Aster Clinic (AJMC, Bur Dubai) Rheumatology consultant Dr. Kirthi Raju, and NMC Royal Hospital (Sharjah) Rheumatology specialist Dr Khalid Ali Khan.

Hasan gave an oft-ignored tip: “Lift a heavy stuff the right way. Incorrect lifting can strain your joints and lead to injuries, upping chances of getting arthritis. Use proper form to protect the joints.”

They were all asked how the slow progressing RA gets to have the co-morbidities of overweight, obesity, diabetes and mental health issues in connection with May having been dubbed as the “Arthritis Awareness Month,” even as this has only been generally observed in the USA, after the May 10, 1972 signing of Proclamation 4132 - “National Arthritis Month” by then President Richard Nixon.

While at that time, records revealed that over 18 million Americans were suffering from arthritis with five million, specifically stricken with RA, 50,000 of which were minors, the World Health Organisation records revealed that approximately 18 million have been living with the “systemic autoimmune disease” by 2019.

The “Rheumatoid Arthritis - Global Clinical Trial Landscape” of the global full-service contract research organisation Novotech, noted that “by 2050, global RA cases are estimated to reach 31.7 million, marking an 80.2 per cent surge from 2020.”

Additionally, according to the report, overall, the most-affected, as of 2020, were China, Asia-pacific, UK and USA. “East and South Asia had the highest cases with 4.8 million and 3.2 million, demonstrating moderate mortality rates. Western Europe followed with two million cases, showing a lower mortality rate while Central Latin America despite lower prevalence exhibited a higher mortality rate, underscoring the burden on affected individuals. North Africa and the Middle East had lower frequency but higher fatality rates. Southern Sub-saharan Africa displayed increased mortality despite the lower prevalence, highlighting regional concerns.”