Causes
Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an autoimmune disease. This means that 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 RA. It is believed that RA may be caused by a combination of factors, including genetic risk and environmental factors such as a bacterial or viral infection.