Thousands risk early death by ignoring arthritis symptoms

LONDON - Thousands of people with arthritis symptoms are reducing 10 years of their lifespan by postponing visits to the doctor.

There is a crucial three-month window when rheumatoid arthritis, which causes stiff, swollen and sore joints, can be slowed down or even halted.

Research suggests the toll taken by the disease could be scaled back if it is caught within these early months when symptoms first appear in patients, the Daily Mail reports.

Left untreated or tackled too late, the crippling condition can force people to stay off work. Poorly treated rheumatoid arthritis also raises the risk of heart attacks and other cardiac problems.

Karim Raza, consultant rheumatologist, said: “Recent trial data has shown that there is a three-month window after the start of symptoms.”

“The data suggests that if you intervene within those three months you can very rapidly slow progression of the disease and in some cases halt it.

“There is also a suggestion that if you intervene aggressively you might in a small proportion of people actually switch off the disease,” Raza said.

“A quarter of patients stop working within the first five years of diagnosis.

“And the condition doesn’t just affect the joints. On average, people with rheumatoid arthritis die 10 years younger than people without rheumatoid arthritis,” Raza added.

Studies show that given early enough, methotrexate and other pills available on the National Health Scheme can greatly slow the progress of the condition and, in some cases, even halt it

altogether.

Although rheumatoid arthritis is most common after the age of 40, it can occur at any age.