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Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) is a chronic inflammatory disorder where your immune system affects joint tissues and, in more progressive stages, the body’s internal organs. The early signs of the disease are characterized by warm swollen joints and joint linings stiffness.
It has a varied course in different patients from being indolent to the progressive or undulating course. A sense of general awareness and prudent clinical assessment will help early diagnosis. . The cause of RA is not clearly understood but it is attributed to genetic predisposition, distortion of immune function with the production of autoantibodies with there is a geographic and racial variation of the disease incidence.
It is possible that Kidneys may be affected in patients with RA and it is estimated that one out of four RA patients develops reduced kidney functions over the long term. A recent study by the Mayo clinic concludes that, while RA could affect the kidneys, several other factors, such as obesity, high blood pressure, use of anti-inflammatory and non-steroidal medications, high-salt diet, etc. also burden the kidneys to function harder.
In addition, drugs used for the treatment of RA could potentially have renal side effects. Renal amyloidosis is the process there is the deposition of abnormal proteins. It may cause severe fatigue, shortness of breath, swelling in the ankles and joints, and diarrhea.
Kidney disease in the context of RA can be asymptomatic or cause abnormalities in routine urine testing. In select situations, a patient may undergo a Kidney biopsy (a pinhole procedure using Ultrasound) to precisely understand the nature of the disease. Therapy for kidney disease. In RA will depend on the type of injury, the cause of the problem, and the severity too. It is feasible to control and at times cure kidney injury with focused therapy
Kidneys are one of the organs that may be affected in RA; lungs, heart, blood vessels, and eye are other sites of injury beyond the joints. Clinicians managing patients with RA may need the input of other specialists as the need may require in managing organ injury. Coexistent disease conditions may require medical management. Lifestyle modification as appropriate may be needed to aid the core treatment of RA as supplementary interventions. Coordinated care by a clinical team of joint specialists, an internist or other clinical specialist, and a physiotherapist is key to achieving good outcome.
The author is a leading nephrologist and senior vice president of clinical affairs, NephroPlus
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