Rheumatoid arthritis
- You:
- 1.9%
- Avg:
- 3.3%
Your relative risk: below average
Your estimated lifetime risk: 1.9% (19 per 1,000)
Average lifetime risk: 3.3% (33 per 1,000)
You have two of the 10 risk markers
Your estimated risk
We took the average risk for women and used your genetic markers to estimate your lifetime risk for rheumatoid arthritis: 1.9%.
Here's another way to look at your risk. In a sample population:
83% have a higher genetic risk than you
7% have the same genetic risk as you
10% have a lower genetic risk than you
Our sample population comes from the International HapMap Project, the largest publicly available database of human genome variation. It consists of 60 Americans of European ancestry.
Causes: rheumatoid arthritis
Genes are only part of the story. Environment and behavior play a role too. Studies of twins show how much of a condition's cause is hereditary and how much is due to other factors.
What's next?
- Are your joints stiff, warm or swollen, especially in the mornings? See your doctor if so.
- If you smoke, stop. It increases your risk of RA.
What does it mean?
You are at below-average risk for rheumatoid arthritis, a joint disease that affects about one in a hundred Americans. Over the course of the average U.S. woman's lifetime, the risk of developing rheumatoid arthritis is 3.3 per 100. Not smoking can lower your risk even more. Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disease, meaning that your immune system attacks your own body, particularly the tissue surrounding the joints. The disease is chronic, though for many people symptoms may come and go. It generally is diagnosed between the ages of 40 and 60.
What we found
To calculate your estimated lifetime risk, we looked at five places in your genome that are associated with rheumatoid arthritis. At each location, there are two markers, for a total of 10 possible risk markers. The chart below shows your markers for each of the five places. You have two of the 10 risk markers we looked for. Each risk marker increases your odds by a different amount — some a little, some a lot.
The height of the blue bars shows your odds ratio, a measure of the effect of a genetic variant on your odds of developing a condition. The clear bars represent the maximum odds ratio for each location. Roll your mouse over the chart for more information about each location.