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Article: Rheumatoid arthritis drugs.(DRUGS, PREGNANCY, AND LACTATION)
- Article from:
- OB GYN News
- Article date:
- April 15, 2005
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2005 International Medical News Group. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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The autoimmune disorder rheumatoid arthritis occurs in about 1%-2% of the population. The disease is more prevalent in women than men by about a 3:1 ratio, but in the reproductive years, the ratio may be as high as 6:1. During pregnancy, the incidence is about 1:1,000.
RA is characterized by the production of cytokines, including tumor necrosis factor-[alpha] (TNF-[alpha]) and interleukin-1 in the synovial cavity, and irreversible damage to soft tissues and bones. Drug therapy of RA involves the use of disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs) to prevent or lessen this damage. The therapy can be categorized as biologic DMARDs, synthetic DMARDs, and ...