Rheumatoid Arthritis Awareness Day is February 2nd

Ian C. Langtree - Writer/Editor for Disabled World (DW)
Published: 2013/01/23 - Updated: 2024/05/22
Publication Type: Awareness, Appreciation
Topic: Disability Awareness - Publications List

Page Content: Synopsis - Introduction - Main

Synopsis: Establishment of Rheumatoid Awareness day of recognition to be held each year on February 2nd. Rheumatoid Awareness Day comes at the start of Heart Disease Awareness month, underscoring a serious aspect of rheumatoid disease: heart involvement.

Introduction

Rheumatoid Patient Foundation (RPF) announces the establishment of Rheumatoid Awareness Day to be held each year on February 2, giving people with the chronic illness known as rheumatoid arthritis, or rheumatoid disease, a day of recognition. Because the disease is commonly presumed to be a type of arthritis, awareness is lacking, causing problems with disability accommodations, clinical care, healthcare reimbursement and research funding.

Focus

February 2nd already boasts the observance of Groundhog Day, from which several analogies can be drawn to rheumatoid disease.

"Compare disease onset to the moment the groundhog comes out of his hole to look for his shadow. It's impossible to predict how aggressive the disease will be or whether treatments will be effective. The six weeks that the groundhog forecasts correspond to the short window of opportunity for people with rheumatoid disease to get early diagnosis and treatment, which has been shown to be a crucial component of positive outcome."

Rheumatoid arthritis is a progressive inflammatory disease causing damage to joint and organ tissues, resulting in severe pain, frequent disability, and increased mortality.

For most patients, current treatments neither relieve all symptoms nor assure a healthy future. Remission is rare.

Rheumatoid disease affects about one percent of the world's population, with 1.6 to 2 million Americans currently diagnosed.

Mayo Clinic says lifetime risk of the disease is 3.6 percent for women and 1.7 percent for men.

Rheumatoid Awareness Day comes at the start of Heart Disease Awareness month, underscoring a serious aspect of rheumatoid disease: heart involvement. Studies show that rheumatoid disease may affect the heart prior to diagnosis.

Rheumatoid patients have higher incidence of stroke and atrial fibrillation in addition to the specific effects of the disease upon the heart itself. A study conducted by Mayo Clinic reported that rheumatoid arthritis patients were twice as likely to experience silent heart attacks and sudden cardiac deaths.

The Rheumatoid Patient Foundation will support the first annual Rheumatoid Awareness Day with a campaign aimed at raising awareness and educating about rheumatoid disease. RPF encourages both the rheumatoid patient community and the public to get involved by sharing educational resources, promoting awareness messages via social media, participating in a live online chat and a donation- matching opportunity.

Author Credentials: Ian is an Australian-born writer, editor, and advocate who currently resides in Montreal, Canada. He is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of Disabled World, a leading resource for news and information on disability issues. With a global perspective shaped by years of travel and lived experience, Ian is a committed proponent of the Social Model of Disability-a transformative framework developed by disabled activists in the 1970s that emphasizes dismantling societal barriers rather than focusing solely on individual impairments. His work reflects a deep commitment to disability rights, accessibility, and social inclusion. To learn more about Ian's background, expertise, and accomplishments, visit his full biography.