About Moderate to Severe
Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA)
Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a lifelong disease that begins with inflammation in the joints. RA can lead to loss of function and permanent joint damage, but treatment can improve function and help stop progressive joint damage.
Types of arthritis
Before being diagnosed, people may be unsure as to what type of arthritis they
have. Osteoarthritis is the most common form, and it usually
develops over many years and affects people later in life. While osteoarthritis
is mainly a condition of "wear and tear," RA is an autoimmune disease and can
occur at any age. Unlike osteoarthritis, RA usually involves joint swelling and morning stiffness.
Healthy Joint
Joint Affected by Moderate to Severe RA
RA usually begins with inflammation of the joints, but it can progress to serious joint damage.
What causes RA?
The cause of rheumatoid arthritis is unknown. It is a disease of the immune system. The immune system protects the body from infections and certain
diseases. With RA, the immune system begins to damage the joints. It has been
found that people with active RA have too much of a protein called tumor necrosis factor, or TNF. Although TNF is naturally produced by your immune system,
increased levels of active TNF are believed to play a role in the inflammation
of RA. Knowing how RA develops can help you understand how some treatments,
like ENBREL, work. Learn how ENBREL works.
Symptoms of RA
Rheumatoid arthritis can cause a number of symptoms, including pain, swelling, fatigue, weakness, and stiffness (stiffness is most common in the morning). RA is polyarticular, which means it affects many joints. It also tends to affect joints symmetrically, which means it tends to affect both sides of the body equally.
Long-term effects of RA
Effects of rheumatoid arthritis begin when the stimulated immune system causes joint inflammation. Unlike inflammation occurring with minor injuries, which clears up, inflammation occurring with RA worsens and can lead to progressive and permanent damage to cartilage and bones within joints.
Ability to carry out daily activities can decrease greatly and joints may become deformed. Rheumatoid arthritis is not curable, but appropriate therapy can help to reduce symptoms, improve function, and stop progressive joint damage.
Treating RA
In many cases, a decision is made to manage rheumatoid arthritis with pain relievers and anti-inflammatory drugs that treat only symptoms instead of treating the disease. In some cases, steroids are used. Your doctor may want to consider medications that modify the progression of the disease. Such medications are called disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs). There are nonbiologic and biologic types of DMARDs.
ENBREL is a prescription medicine that is self-injected. ENBREL is a type of biologic DMARD that is indicated to treat moderate to severe
rheumatoid arthritis. ENBREL works on the immune system to help reduce joint
pain and inflammation and keep joint damage from getting worse. Read more about
how ENBREL works.
Because ENBREL works on your immune system, it may lower your ability to fight infections and may raise other safety concerns. If you have any sign of an infection including a fever, cough, flu-like symptoms, or have any open sores on your body, call your doctor.
Please see Full Prescribing Information, Important Safety Information, and Medication Guide for complete details about ENBREL.