Conditions and symptoms
What Is Rheumatoid Arthritis? Meaning on Medicine Labels
Rheumatoid arthritis · say it: ROO-muh-toyd ar-THRY-tisAlso written: RA, rheumatoid disease
Short answer
Rheumatoid arthritis is a long-term condition where the immune system attacks the lining of the joints, causing pain, swelling and stiffness.
What it means
Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an autoimmune disease. That means the body's own immune system, which normally fights germs, mistakenly attacks healthy tissue. In RA it targets the lining of the joints, often the small joints of the hands and feet on both sides of the body. It can also affect other parts of the body, such as the eyes, lungs and blood vessels.
RA appears on medicine labels in two ways. It is listed under 'Indications' for medicines approved to treat it, such as some anti-inflammatory medicines, antirheumatic medicines and medicines that calm the immune system. It also appears in warnings, because some of these medicines lower the body's ability to fight infection, so labels ask about infections before and during treatment.
RA is different from osteoarthritis. Osteoarthritis is mainly wear and tear of the joint cartilage over time. RA is driven by inflammation from the immune system, and morning stiffness that lasts a long time is a typical feature.
Where you may see it
- The 'Indications and Usage' section of anti-inflammatory and antirheumatic medicine labels
- Warnings about infection risk on medicines that suppress the immune system
- Clinic letters and referral notes from rheumatology
📄 How it looks on a report
Indicated for the relief of the signs and symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis.
🙅 What it does not mean
- Seeing RA on a label does not mean the medicine is only for RA, or that you have RA. Labels list every condition a medicine is approved for.
- RA is not the same as ordinary joint aches from ageing. It is an immune condition and is managed differently from osteoarthritis.
- A medicine label mentioning infection risk with RA treatment does not mean infection will happen, only that it should be watched for.
🗒️ Questions to ask your doctor
💊 Medicines whose labels mention “Rheumatoid arthritis”
Plain-English explanations of each medicine, from its official FDA label.
- Ciprofloxacin
a fluoroquinolone antibacterial medicine
- Diclofenac Sodium
A nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID). The FDA class is not listed on the label.
- Hydroxychloroquine
an antimalarial and antirheumatic drug, which means it is used for malaria and for certain joint and immune conditions
- Ibuprofen
a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID), a type of medicine that reduces pain, swelling, and fever
- Levofloxacin
an antibiotic of the fluoroquinolone type
- Methotrexate
A dihydrofolate reductase inhibitor, a type of medicine that works against folate (a vitamin-like substance cells use to grow and divide). The FDA pharmacologic class is not listed on the label.
- Naproxen
a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID), which is a medicine that reduces pain, swelling, and inflammation
- Prednisolone
a corticosteroid, a type of steroid medicine. The label describes glucocorticoids as adrenocortical steroids, both naturally occurring and synthetic, that are readily absorbed from the stomach and intestines.
- Prednisone
a corticosteroid, a type of steroid medicine that works like the adrenocortical (adrenal gland) steroids the body makes naturally
🔗 Read more from trusted sources
- “Rheumatoid arthritis” on MedlinePlus ↗
US National Library of Medicine
- NCI Dictionary definition ↗
US National Cancer Institute: “rheumatoid arthritis”
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General information about a medical word, not advice about your own results. Ask the clinician who ordered the test what it means for you.