Causes

Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune condition, which means it's caused by the immune system attacking healthy body tissue. However, it's not yet known what triggers this.

Your immune system normally makes antibodies that attack bacteria and viruses, helping to fight infection.

If you have rheumatoid arthritis, your immune system mistakenly sends antibodies to the lining of your joints, where they attack the tissue surrounding the joint.

This causes the thin layer of cells (synovium) covering your joints to become sore and inflamed, releasing chemicals that damage nearby:

If rheumatoid arthritis is not treated, these chemicals gradually cause the joint to lose its shape and alignment. Eventually, it can destroy the joint completely.

Various theories of why the immune system attacks the joints have been suggested, such as an infection being a trigger, but none of these theories has been proven.

Possible risk factors

There are several things that may increase your risk of developing rheumatoid arthritis, including:

Further information

Page last reviewed: 8 March 2023
Next review due: 8 March 2026