Speaking to Khaleej Times on her trip to Dubai recently, Dr Assil Saleh, Faculty at the Division of Rheumatology at Johns Hopkins Hospital in the US, said, “A recent report released in Dubai stated that only five per cent of patients diagnosed with RA in Dubai are treated with disease modifying anti-rheumatic drugs or biologic therapy. So there is a huge discrepancy in the treatment of this disease here.”

RA is manifested by joint damage and destruction. The symptoms include people complaining of pain and swelling in the joints, and if left untreated, it can lead to disability in a span of 5 to 10 years. Some of the treatment modalities, including biological agents and medication, can halt the progression of the disease.

Said Dr Saleh, “The person can go into a remission, meaning they can feel as good as they were prior to the onset of the disease within a few months of treatment. The treatment will stop the joint inflammation damage and destruction.”   Taking part in a symposium organised by the National Arab American Medical Association and the Dubai Health Care City in Dubai, Dr Assil tried to raise awareness about the disease and how ‘under-diagnosed’ and ‘under-detected’ it is in the Middle East.

“There are many reasons for this. There could be cultural reasons as well.

What is Rheumatoid Arthritis

Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) is a form of arthritis that leads to inflammation in the lining of the joints. The disease may last for many years, and it may affect many different joints in the body. Over time RA may damage various parts of your joints, including cartilage, bone, tendons and ligaments.

The first manifestation, particularly in young children, may be limping. The cardinal clinical feature is persistent swelling of the affected joint(s), which commonly include the knee, ankle, wrist and small joints of the hands and feet.

Anyone can be diagnosed with RA, including children and the elderly. However, people often get RA during their young to middle adult years. Women are diagnosed with RA approximately three times more often than men.

RA may be difficult to diagnose. Many times symptoms do not occur on a consistent basis and are confused with symptoms of other illnesses. Generally doctors diagnose individuals by using medical examination, medical history, symptoms and laboratory tests (such as a test for the presence of rheumatoid factor).

There is no cure for arthritis but it is important to see a doctor as they can help you carry on with your normal activities, and also prevent you from getting crippled and disabled.