Late-onset rheumatoid arthritis (LORA)
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.15305/ijrci/v11i1/367Keywords:
Arthritis, Late onset arthritis, pain, disability.Abstract
The proportion of older adults (>65 years of age) has been on the rise. According to the global estimates, there were 700 million elderly subjects (aged 65+) in 2019. The overall number of elderly is expected to increase 2-fold in the next three decades to reach around 1.5 billion by 2050. Presentation of autoimmune disorders like rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is often misunderstood and misdiagnosed in this population due to varied presentations. Diagnosis is often challenging in elderly due to the common presentations of aches and pain despite various underlying etiologies. The acute onset of polyarthritis in elderly is associated with prominent myalgia, fatigue, low-grade fever, weight loss, and depression. Less often, extraarticular manifestations such as nodules or episcleritis may also be present. It is important to understand the altered mechanisms and presentations of existing diseases in younger adults and their manifestations in elderly. The present review article highlighting the varied presentations of RA in elderly may help clinicians in customizing the treatment modalities to address the associated complications.
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