Arthritis is more of a health threat to most Indians than lifestyle diseases like diabetes. A recent study found that nearly 18 crore people were likely to develop Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) and other forms of the condition which affects the joints of the body.
This study was carried out over a period of three years by a diagnostic lab across India, according to the Asian Age. With the help of advanced radiology tests, clinicians found that 10.14 percent of those surveyed showed positive for RA. To add to that, 21.74 percent of the samples tested showed the presence of anti-nuclear antibodies. This meant that their immune system might be predisposed to cause inflammation against their own body tissues. Arthritis India lists this as one of the main cause for RA, according to the survey report.
Doctors classify arthritis into three main clinical types: Osteoarthritis (OA), Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) and Gout. The most commonly affected places in RA happen to be the joint cartilages and membranes.
