Rheumatoid arthritis is a common chronic, systemic autoimmune disease characterized by joint inflammation, swelling, pain, and dysfunction, especially in the facet joints of the hands and feet, and is often symmetrically distributed.
Traditional Chinese medicine classifies it as "Bi syndrome". Bi, that is, paralysis obstruction, means that the human body due to the invasion of external evils, internal injuries, fatigue from eating and drinking, etc., resulting in poor flow of qi and blood, meridian blockage, pain, swelling, restricted activities and other symptoms.
The latest epidemiological data suggest that the prevalence of rheumatoid in mainland China is approximately 0.5% to 1%. Although many people mistakenly believe that rheumatoid mainly affects the elderly population, in reality, the disease is not limited to a specific age group. Many people are at high risk of susceptibility, and daily habits may also be potential triggers, silently increasing the risk of disease. Do you fall into one of the following 4 susceptible groups?
◼ People with a family history of the disease
Although rheumatoid is not a direct genetic disease, studies have shown that it runs in familial clusters and has a genetic predisposition.
Data show that among 91 rheumatoid patients and 91 first-degree relatives of healthy people, the prevalence of the former was 6.4625%, while the prevalence of the latter was 1.054%. For example, if Li Si has rheumatoid disease, then the prevalence of Li Si's parents, siblings, and children is 6 times that of the general population, indicating that the prevalence of rheumatoid patients' first-degree relatives is higher than that of ordinary people.
What's more, compared with the prevalence of rheumatoid in the general population of 0.5~1%, the prevalence of one identical twin with rheumatoid is as high as 30%-50% after the other litter.
This may be related to the patient's own presence of human leukocyte antigen (HLA), which is closely associated with rheumatoid and is associated with a higher susceptibility to rheumatoid in individuals carrying this antigen.
◼ People who smoke regularly
Smoking is one of the biggest risks of rheumatoid. Harmful substances such as nicotine in tobacco not only harm lung health, but may also increase the risk of rheumatoid.
Smoking not only significantly increases the prevalence of genetically predisposed rheumatoid, but also causes and aggravates coagulation and fibrinolytic disorders in rheumatoid patients.
Traditional Chinese medicine believes that the lungs are the main body qi, breathing, and the fur is in harmony, and the release of lung qi directly affects the metabolism of water in the body. Long-term smoking not only injures the lungs, resulting in "lung loss", but also may cause the whole body qi to be sluggish, dampness and phlegm turbidity are easy to stay, affecting the flow of qi and blood, and then affecting the joints.
Therefore, Dr. Huang recommends that rheumatoid patients who smoke quit smoking, while rheumatoid patients who do not smoke should try to stay away from secondhand smoke.
◼ Female population
Women are more likely than men to suffer from rheumatoid disease, especially postmenopausal women.
This may be related to changes in estrogen levels in women's bodies. In the theory of traditional Chinese medicine, women take the liver as their congenital, the liver hides blood, and the main excretion, while the liver and kidney are homologous, and the kidney is the main bone and marrow. The fluctuation of estrogen will affect the function of the liver and kidneys, resulting in poor flow of qi and blood, dystrophy of muscles and bones, and easy to develop paralysis.
◼ People who live in a humid environment for a long time
The humidity of the living environment has a profound impact on health, and the dampness evil in traditional Chinese medicine is one of the important external causes that cause "paralysis". ”
Living in a humid environment for a long time, dampness is easy to take advantage of the weakness, block the meridians, damage the joints, and cause or aggravate rheumatoid disease. Modern research has also confirmed that a humid environment is associated with the onset and exacerbation of rheumatoid.
Early detection and treatment are essential for rheumatoid.
According to a survey of more than 50,000 rheumatoid patients in more than 300 hospitals across the country, more than 80% of rheumatoid patients in mainland China have progressed to moderate to severe disease when they first seek medical treatment, which undoubtedly misses the best time for treatment.
Dr. Huang believes that if patients can be treated with standardized intervention and close monitoring within 6 months to 1 year after the onset of the disease, it is possible to avoid the disability of patients and hopefully achieve clinical cure.
Therefore, for people who are susceptible to rheumatoid, it is important to understand their own risk, adopt a healthy lifestyle, have regular medical check-ups, and take immediate treatment measures when symptoms are found. Through these measures, we can effectively achieve the goal of "curing the disease" and minimize the impact of rheumatoid on life.
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Resources:
[1] Yixilam, Lin Xueni, Zhao Guoqing, et al. Overview of epidemiological studies of rheumatoid arthritis [J]. Tibet Medicine, 2023, 44 (05): 153-155.
[2] Wang Kai. Early diagnosis and early treatment, vigilance against "rheumatoid" sneak attack on women[N]. China Women's Daily, 2021-11-03 (008).
[3] Han Yongxia. Tobacco, alcohol, tea and rheumatoid arthritis[J].Open book is beneficial(Seeking medical advice),2010(12):25.
[4] Wu Wei, Zhang Yan, Li Wenning, Huang Yanyan. Effect of smoking on coagulation and fibrinolytic disorders in patients with rheumatoid arthritis[J].Rheumatology and Arthritis,2013:13-16.
[5] Lu Banghua, Cai Xinrong, Huang Qiong, Cai Dehui, Xiang Yang. Effect of passive smoking on autoantibodies and disease activity in rheumatoid arthritis[J].Chinese Journal of Rheumatology,2020,24(12):811-816.)
[6] Qiao Yu. Why does rheumatoid arthritis "favor" women? It has a lot to do with endocrine [J]. Family Life Guide, 2023, 39 (03): 34-35.
[7] China Rheumatoid Arthritis Development Report 2020
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