Rheumatic diseases are a broad group of disorders affecting the joints, muscles, bones, and connective tissues, frequently involving immune-mediated inflammation and characterized by pain, stiffness, swelling, and impaired function. The category includes inflammatory and autoimmune conditions such as rheumatoid arth…
Rheumatic diseases are a broad group of disorders affecting the joints, muscles, bones, and connective tissues, frequently involving immune-mediated inflammation and characterized by pain, stiffness, swelling, and impaired function. The category includes inflammatory and autoimmune conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, and lupus, degenerative disease such as osteoarthritis, crystal arthropathies such as gout, and soft-tissue and pain syndromes including fibromyalgia. Many are systemic, capable of affecting organs beyond the musculoskeletal system; rheumatic processes can involve the heart, as in rheumatic heart disease and the valvular damage that complicates it, illustrating the reach of these disorders beyond the joints. Their chronic, often progressive nature can cause substantial pain and disability, making early recognition and sustained management important. Care increasingly emphasizes individualized, evidence-based approaches, including movement toward precision rheumatology that uses clinical and molecular features to guide treatment, alongside self-management support; health literacy and structured self-management are shown to influence outcomes in conditions such as osteoarthritis. The interplay of rheumatic disease with frailty and overall function further underscores the value of comprehensive care. Research themes include the immunopathogenesis and genetic and environmental drivers of autoimmunity, the cardiovascular and systemic complications of rheumatic disease, outcome measurement, and strategies, pharmacological, educational, and multidisciplinary, to control inflammation, relieve symptoms, and preserve function over the long term.
5 peer-reviewed articles, ranked by relevance. Each links to its DOI.
The 5 articles above have been cited 21 times in the scholarly literature. Citation data via OpenAlex and Crossref, updated Jun 2026.
A sample of recent works citing this journal's research on Rheumatic Diseases, linking to each citing work.