Rheumatoid arthritis affects about 1% of the population

Rheumatoid arthritis occurs when the immune system attacks cells within joints

Rheumatoid arthritis is a specific type of arthritis that occurs when the body's immune system attacks normal cells within the connective tissues of the joint and degrades them. This sets off a painful cycle of inflammation and joint destruction that often requires lifelong medication to control.

Arthritis affects almost 60 million Americans

Arthritis refers to a range of conditions resulting in joint pain that currently affects nearly 60 million people in the United States alone. This resource from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention explores the basics of arthritis and provides resources for understanding its near-universal impact on our population.

Visualizing a joint under attack from rheumatoid arthritis

A particularly difficult arthritis subtype is rheumatoid arthritis, a painful condition provoking a vicious cycle of joint inflammation, destruction, and dysfunction. It begins with a misfiring of the patient’s own immune system—for unknown reasons, it identifies joint and cartilage cells as foreign, initiating an attack to eliminate the supposed "invaders."

More than 5 million Americans have more than one autoimmune disease

Overall, about 4.6% of the US population—15 million people—have an autoimmune condition. Some common examples include rheumatoid arthritis, psoriasis, type 1 diabetes, Grave's disease, and autoimmune thyroiditis.

Research links the gut microbiome and rheumatoid arthritis

Arthritis is a potentially disabling joint condition that currently affects nearly one in five adults across the globe. Doctors still don't know what causes rheumatoid arthritis, but the answer may be partly determined by chemicals produced by bacteria in the gut.

Five advancements in arthritis research

It is estimated that nearly 350 million people worldwide are currently suffering from arthritis. This resource explores five of the most promising recent advancements in arthritis research as scientists work towards improved treatments and continue the search for a cure.

Autoimmune diseases affect between 5% and 10% of people worldwide, but their causes remain unknown

Autoantibodies—which attack the body—may be detectable in the body years before a patient develops symptoms, but some people may have detectable levels yet never go on to develop an autoimmune disease. This video discusses this and other unsolved mysteries with autoimmune disease.

Arthritis explained, with Dr. Nick Golinvaux

Arthritis, a condition affecting millions globally, is more than just joint pain—it’s a breakdown of cartilage that cushions bones, leading to stiffness, swelling, and discomfort. While often associated with aging, arthritis can affect people of all ages, especially after injuries. Though there’s no cure yet, treatments range from medication and physical therapy to surgical interventions like joint replacements.

The most common type of arthritis is osteoarthritis, or age-related cartilage loss

The most common form of arthritis is osteoarthritis. It's caused by cartilage loss within our joints as we age. This article is formatted specifically for patients. It provides easily digestible information on our most evidence-based understanding of osteoarthritis causes, symptoms, and treatments.

There is no cure for the general condition of arthritis

While there are innumerable conditions ultimately leading to the joint pain we collectively term "arthritis," one common pathway is progressive inflammation and joint damage many years after an injury.

Autoimmunity is when the body attacks itself, causing inflammation

Inflammation is the body's way of healing itself, and acute inflammation saves our lives when we have injuries or infections. It increases blood flow to the affected areas to bring immune cells to fight off invaders. This often results in short-term swelling, redness, and pain.

GLP-1s are netting interest for treating autoimmune diseases, but are considered experimental

Already used to treat type 2 diabetes, the novel medications are showing some early promise in experimental studies at reducing inflammation and treating autoimmune conditions including rheumatoid arthritis and inflammatory bowel conditions. But researchers caution that side effects are still under investigation—rarely the medication has caused lupus, an autoimmune disease.

How one autoimmune disease patient is questing for inflammation cures

This article's writer, who has Hashimoto's Disease and characteristic symptoms from her body attacking her thyroid—like exhaustion, hair loss, and brain fog—shares big take-aways from an anti-inflammatory retreat in Italy. The writer suggests that a holistic approach to eating, sleeping, and stress management, are the only sustainable ways to lower inflammation.

Why CAR-T therapy has become one of the main focus areas for autoimmune diseases

The therapy, originally targeting cancer, involves taking a patient's own T cells, genetically reprogramming them to recognize and attack a specific target and then infusing them back into patients. For autoimmune diseases, the therapy instead programs them to target immune cells that are causing problems, restoring immune system tolerance.

Scleroderma, which causes skin to harden and scar, has no FDA-approved treatment

It's an autoimmune disease that disproportionately causes worse complications in African American people for unknown reasons. It causes the body to overproduce collagen after the immune system attacks the body's own connective tissue, leading to excess collagen deposits and restricted blood circulation as small blood vessels are damaged. It can damage various organs, including the lungs.

Less than 1% of people globally have schizophrenia, a syndrome strongly linked to genetics

Schizophrenia's causes remain largely unknown, though scientists suggest it's caused by multiple factors. Its symptoms include disruption of thought processes rather than the exhibiting of multiple personalities. This brief video provides an overview of the condition.

Wet macular degeneration affects 10%-15% of those with macular degeneration

This form of molecular degeneration refers to when excess blood vessels form in the back of the eye and damage the macula. If someone with this condition looks at straight lines, they will typically appear wavy or crooked.

Aging results from the cumulative breakdown of cellular and tissue processes

A cumulative breakdown of cellular and tissue processes combines to result in decreased organ function, disrupting the systems driving normal human physiology. This five-minute video provides a primer on the subject, complete with a discussion of risk factors, cellular changes, and potential future treatments in the fight against aging.

Autism rate increases are mostly among those with milder symptoms, not individuals with severe symptoms

Broader case definitions and better screening are typically now detecting more milder cases of autism rather than individuals who have severe impairments (who could be categorized as having profound autism). Profound autism rates, an autism researcher says in this article, have stayed proportionately steady.

Rabies kills more than 50,000 worldwide each year

Rabies transmission to humans typically comes from an infected animal, and death was very common before recent protocols were developed (post-exposure prophylaxis). The virus is neurotropic, which means it has an affinity for nerve tissue, and moves quickly from broadly infecting the body to destroying the brain.

An estimated 1% of DNA mutations in bacteria can produce more dangerous strains

Researchers have developed a technique to monitor these mutations in real time. Using this technology, scientists found that mutations occur at a steady rate, with 1% leading to potentially deadly changes.

Listen to how one gene affects Alzheimer's risk

Multiple genes are associated with Alzheimer's risk, but one well-known disease-associated gene is the apolipoprotein E (APOE) gene, which is typically involved in making a protein that helps carry cholesterol and other fats in the bloodstream. Specific variants of this gene are associated with elevated disease risk, though even if someone has two copies of the disease, that doesn't mean they will definitely develop Alzheimer's.

Hookworm infection, though risky, may help fight certain autoimmune conditions by tamping down the immune system's inflammatory response.

Hemorrhagic strokes make up roughly 13% of stroke events

A hemorrhagic stroke occurs when a faulty blood vessel within the brain bleeds. Though this is less common than an ischemic stroke, it is often far more deadly. This in-depth resource from the American Stroke Association provides a comprehensive overview of the two main subtypes of hemorrhagic stroke along with a useful animation of the condition.

Erythema migrans rash is common in Lyme—but it often doesn't look like a bull's-eye

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention states that this rash occurs in roughly 70% or more of Lyme disease patients, and typically occurs at the site of a tick bite. The rash may expand slowly over several days and feel warm to the touch, but it's rarely itchy or painful. As it grows, areas of it may clear—creating a target or "bull's-eye" appearance.

What is cardiovascular disease?

Cardiovascular diseases are a range of related health conditions that develop in the heart and blood vessels. This article and related infographics detail cardiovascular disease types and treatments.

Between 10 million and 50 million people in the US develop rashes from poison ivy, poison sumac, and poison oak each year.

Alzheimer's can lead to brain shrinkage, with an average of around 2% of volume reduction per year

Visualize how CRISPR-Cas9—a type of immune system used by single-celled organisms to attack invasive viruses—targets and makes precise changes to a gene's DNA.

Bone marrow (soft tissue found inside certain bones) generates roughly 500 billion new blood cells each day

Ebola infects and disables immune cells, triggering a cascade of events that leads to small blood clots throughout the body, weakening blood vessels and interrupting blood flow to key organs.

About 2,000 US babies are born annually without some portion of their limbs, potentially leading to a lifetime of pricey prosthetics.

Read a deep dive on the 'all-purpose healing' peptide BPC-157.

Human-to-human transmission of hantavirus remains extremely rare, so the 2026 hantavirus cruise ship outbreak doesn't mean we're facing a COVID-style pandemic risk.

Tattoos remain visible on your skin thanks to immune cells called macrophages

Animal phobias are likely the most common type of phobias, followed by an extreme fear of heights.

Studies suggest when you sleep is as important as how much you get, and syncing with your circadian rhythms may lead to less fatigue and improved long-term health outcomes

US consumers collectively owe more than $1T to credit card companies—almost as much as they owe in auto loans.

44% of Americans say they pray at least once a day—discover how your state's religiosity stacks up against the rest of the country.

Fireworks-related ER visits are on the rise—in 2024, they increased by 52% as compared to the prior year.

In 1939, baseball star Lou Gehrig delivered his inspirational 'Luckiest Man' speech after retiring due to the health condition that now bears his name.

Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps is independent of Iran's regular army and is one of the most powerful and influential military-political organizations in the Middle East.

All rainbows are 'raincircles' caused by water droplets separating white sunlight into a spectrum of colors, but Earth's surface blocks the bottom half of the circle from our line of sight.

Gerrymandering works through two techniques: cracking opposing voters across districts to dilute their power, and packing them into a few to waste their votes in lopsided majorities.

Art theft is the third-largest source of criminal revenues worldwide, thanks in part to the subjective nature of valuing a work of art.

Explore the known asteroids, comets, and spacecraft involved in asteroid studies within our solar system with 'Eyes on Asteroids,' a 3D visualization from NASA.

Corals are themselves not coral reefs—the term refers to the tiny marine invertebrates that build the rigid reef.

The original copy of the Declaration of Independence is not a pristine document, and even features a smudged anonymous handprint in the bottom left corner.

Legendary architect Frank Lloyd Wright designed the SC Johnson headquarters in Wisconsin, aiming to make a cathedral-like workplace

The Russia-Ukraine conflict is the largest ground war in Europe since World War II in terms of casualties, forces mobilized, and displacement of civilians.