Abstract
Delores C. Schoen, PhD, RN, C, FAAN, Adjunct Professor, The Pennsylvania State University School of Nursing, University Park, PA. Rheumatoid arthritis, the most destructive and disabling of all forms of arthritis, affects approximately 0.5–1% of the population worldwide, including 2.1 million Americans, mostly those at midlife and older women. Even with appropriate drug therapy, up to 7% of individuals are disabled within 5 years of disease onset and up to 32% are too disabled to work 10 years after disease onset. The discomfort and disability associated with rheumatoid arthritis are frequently compounded by coexisting chronic diseases, such as diabetes, heart disease, and hypertension.
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