Causes
Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disease: the body's immune
system fails to recognize its own tissue, and views it as a foreign invader.
In the case of RA, the immune system attacks the joints and tissue, causing
long-term damage.
It's hard to determine who will develop rheumatoid arthritis. It is believed
that rheumatoid arthritis may be caused by a combination of factors, including
genetic risk and environmental factors such as a bacterial or viral infection.