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Review
. 2023 Dec 30;34(4):404-413.
doi: 10.31138/mjr.301223.eaf. eCollection 2023 Dec.

Epidemiology and Risk Factors for Rheumatoid Arthritis Development

Aliki I Venetsanopoulou  1 , Yannis Alamanos  2 , Paraskevi V Voulgari  1 , Alexandros A Drosos  1
Affiliations
Review

Epidemiology and Risk Factors for Rheumatoid Arthritis Development

Aliki I Venetsanopoulou et al. Mediterr J Rheumatol. .

Abstract

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a prevalent chronic inflammatory arthritis worldwide, significantly impacting patients and population health. The disease affects women primarily, with a female-to-male ratio of three to one. Its pathogenesis is multifactorial, including genetic and environmental risk factors. Epidemiological studies highlight the link between the environment and genetic susceptibility to RA. The so-called shared epitope is the most significant risk factor that seems to act synergetic with other environmental factors in the disease occurrence. In addition, recent findings suggest a potential role of new substantial environmental factors, such as the observed pollution of the planet's natural resources, on the susceptibility and progression of the disease. This review summarises the most decisive evidence on epidemiology and genetic, environmental, and lifestyle risk factors for RA. It shows that studying genetic and environmental factors in correlation could lead to prevention strategies that may impact the natural history of the disease.

Keywords: environmental factors; genetic factors; incidence; prevalence; rheumatoid arthritis.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors (A.I. Venetsanopoulou, Y. Alamanos, P.V. Voulgari, A.A. Drosos) have no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
Risk factors associated with RA development and phenotype expression.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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