Which disease is commonly considered autoimmune inflammatory process and affects women more often?

Which disease is commonly considered autoimmune inflammatory process and affects women more often?

• A. Multiple sclerosis
• B. Paget's disease
• C. Rheumatoid arthritis
• D. Abdominal aortic aneurysm

Answer: (C)

Autoimmune inflammatory diseases that preferentially affect women often present with persistent joint inflammation. Rheumatoid arthritis is the classic example: it’s an autoimmune process that targets the synovium, causing synovitis, pannus formation, and progressive joint destruction. It overwhelmingly affects women compared with men, with a typical onset in middle age and a pattern of symmetric involvement of small joints such as the metacarpophalangeal and proximal interphalangeal joints, wrists, and sometimes larger joints. Patients often report prolonged morning stiffness lasting more than an hour, along with fatigue and sometimes systemic features. Laboratory support can come from antibodies like rheumatoid factor or anti-CCP, but the clinical pattern is central to recognizing RA. For physical therapy, this means focusing on protecting joints during flares, maintaining range of motion and strength, and patient education on joint protection and energy conservation. In contrast, the other options are not primarily autoimmune inflammatory joint diseases: multiple sclerosis involves autoimmune CNS demyelination; Paget’s disease is a metabolic bone disorder; an abdominal aortic aneurysm is a vascular condition.

Autoimmune inflammatory diseases that preferentially affect women often present with persistent joint inflammation. Rheumatoid arthritis is the classic example: it’s an autoimmune process that targets the synovium, causing synovitis, pannus formation, and progressive joint destruction. It overwhelmingly affects women compared with men, with a typical onset in middle age and a pattern of symmetric involvement of small joints such as the metacarpophalangeal and proximal interphalangeal joints, wrists, and sometimes larger joints. Patients often report prolonged morning stiffness lasting more than an hour, along with fatigue and sometimes systemic features. Laboratory support can come from antibodies like rheumatoid factor or anti-CCP, but the clinical pattern is central to recognizing RA. For physical therapy, this means focusing on protecting joints during flares, maintaining range of motion and strength, and patient education on joint protection and energy conservation. In contrast, the other options are not primarily autoimmune inflammatory joint diseases: multiple sclerosis involves autoimmune CNS demyelination; Paget’s disease is a metabolic bone disorder; an abdominal aortic aneurysm is a vascular condition.