Large Rheumatoid Arthritis Patient Study Shows High Impact on Work & Relationships

PHILADELPHIA, Aug. 28, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Health Union, LLC announced today that it has published detailed results from the "RA in America 2013" survey on its newly launched website http://RheumatoidArthritis.Net. The survey covered a broad array of topics impacting people with Rheumatoid Arthritis (also called RA), and was taken by 1,055 respondents making it one of the largest of its kind conducted with RA patients in the United States.

"We were very pleased at the level of participation we received with this survey," said Tim Armand, President of Health Union, LLC. "For the general public, the results shed light on what it's like to live with RA, and the results will help RA patients themselves see how others live with and manage the disease."

The in-depth results are presented on the website in a number of sections and include topics like symptoms and diagnosis, treatment and physicians, flares and remission, impact on relationships and career, the role of caregivers, the use of complementary and alternative approaches as well as prescription medication use. Many of the results are broken out by the four distinct stages of RA, which range from Mild to Very Severe.

Respondents reported hand or wrist pain and swelling, general body stiffness, knee pain and fatigue among the most common initial symptoms of RA. These symptoms first occurred most frequently between the ages of 45-54. Respondents report using a wide range of pharmacologic and complementary and alternative therapies, and a majority (59.0%) reported spending over $1,000 a year out of pocket despite most having health insurance. Almost one in four (24.9%) reported being on disability and a similar amount (24.6%) reported RA having an impact on their personal relationships, their relationships with their children (30.6%) or their professional development (29.6%).

The detailed interactive results from the RA in America survey can be found on Health Union's new website which was launched in August of this year. On RheumatoidArthritis.Net, readers will find hundreds of pages of RA-specific content covering RA basics, symptoms, diagnosis, treatments, overviews of the latest research along with regular contributions from patient advocates and other experts from a wide range of perspectives. RheumatoidArthritis.Net also welcomes comments and discussion of RA-related topics on its moderated forums and Facebook page.

The RA in America study was solely funded by Health Union, LLC and the primary goal of the study was to establish an understanding of the current state and trends of patients affected by Rheumatoid Arthritis. Health Union does not manufacture, sell nor market any product to diagnose, prevent, or treat RA or any other disease, but is the creator and publisher of in-depth, condition-specific online communities. Health Union's communities are always free to users and are supported by transparent advertising and sponsorships. Health Union also owns http://Migraine.com and http://MultipleSclerosis.Net.

SOURCE Health Union, LLC