How does rheumatoid arthritis affect different people?
Our bodies normally produce inflammation to destroy things, such as bacteria, which cause illness. We do not know what sets off the inflammation in rheumatoid arthritis, but the result is the same _ unfortunately, in this case it is not bacteria or other harmful substances which are attacked but the tissues in the joints. The inflammation in rheumatoid arthritis causes damage to the cartilage and sometimes to the bone itself. It may also damage any ligaments within the joints. The extent to which this happens varies a great deal from person to person. Some people have little or no damage to the joints, or suffer only very minor damage to a few joints. Most people with rheumatoid arthritis have some damage in a number of joints, and a few _ about 1 in 20 (5%) of those with rheumatoid arthritis _ have quite severe damage in a lot of joints. The joints which are most likely to be affected by rheumatoid arthritis are shown in Figure 3. Once joints have been damaged by inflammation they do
