“In the past 25 years, the landscape of rheumatoid arthritis has changed radically, particularly with the development of so-called biological agents,” stated Pereira da Silva, the director of the Rheumatology Service at the Local Health Unit (ULS) of Coimbra.
In observance of the National Day for Rheumatoid Arthritis Patients, celebrated this Saturday, the specialist emphasized that there are therapeutic alternatives that are “far more effective and better tolerated, offering patients a completely different hope for quality of life.”
Rheumatoid arthritis is among the most common rheumatic and inflammatory diseases, characterized by affecting the joints, especially those of the hands and feet. It can involve virtually all joints, from knees to shoulders, causing pain, deformation, and destruction.
“It is indeed a very serious disease, which fortunately we have been positively altering in recent years with therapeutic advances,” Pereira da Silva added.
The Rheumatology Service of ULS Coimbra currently manages over 1,500 patients with rheumatoid arthritis, which causes pain and morning stiffness in the joints of the hands and feet, hindering simple daily tasks like brushing teeth or buttoning a shirt.
In rarer instances, there can be changes in the skin or organs like the lungs and disruption of sleep.
According to Cátia Duarte, the physician responsible for the initial arthritis clinic at that service, the ideal scenario is to observe the patient at a very early stage and conduct a clinical evaluation within the first 12 weeks to start treatment.
The rheumatologist noted that therapeutic options have significantly evolved, not only concerning the type of drugs but also regarding the different mechanisms of action. A strategy involving more intensive pharmacological treatment from the onset allows most patients to enter remission.
“Once we have the diagnosis, we immediately begin treatment with the indicated medications so that the patient experiences well-controlled disease from the outset, because we know this will influence the patient’s functional prognosis,” she explained.
Rheumatoid arthritis can manifest at any age or gender. However, Cátia Duarte points out that it more frequently affects women aged between 50 and 60.
“There is no sense in suffering because there are effective treatments. Our goal is indeed to enable the patient to return to their normal life as it was before the disease, with the ability to perform daily tasks, whether work-related, familial, or social,” she emphasized.
The case of Portugal’s national cycling coach, Gabriel Mendes, aged 50, who has been living with rheumatoid arthritis for 15 years, demonstrates the therapeutic evolution that has helped control the disease and maintain an active life.
“At the moment, I use biological medication, and it has truly transformed and improved my quality of life. Today, my arthritis is well controlled, and the perception and pain I had in the early years have completely changed,” he explained.
However, the initial years “were quite difficult, without relinquishing professional duties and work, as the attitude towards a problem is also important in minimizing or alleviating its effects.”
“I confess that it was very complicated initially, as I had a highly intense professional activity. I worked for several years with relatively intense and limiting pain, but I never gave up,” emphasized Gabriel Mendes, coach of Olympic cyclists Iúri Leitão and Rui Oliveira.
