What causes rheumatoid arthritis?
What causes rheumatoid arthritis?
The actual cause of RA is unknown, but it is thought to be triggered by environmental factors, such as infections with viruses or bacteria, in people with a genetic predisposition to the disease. However, while some patients do remember a viral-type illness when RA began, most do not. To date, no specific infectious agent has been found. (Some antibiotics may improve RA a bit, but their benefits seem to come from their anti-inflammatory action, not their bacteria-killing action.) Genetic factors appear to play as much as a 50% role in the development of RA. But it is the contact with an environmental agent in the genetically-predisposed person that seems to initiate the self-perpetuating inflammation characteristic of RA. While it is clear that genetics are important, if you have RA, this does not at all mean that your child or grandchildren will develop it. Actually, the risk is very small.