By Vectra Ambassador Maria Marino When I was first diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in 2009, there weren’t many places to find information or support online. I discovered one online RA group and became an active participant. I met a ton of people in that group and became fast friends with the active members. I also joined RA Chicks, which focuses a lot on self-advocacy for patients with RA, and I made even more friends through that forum. One of my best online RA friends was a woman named Kelly. She was one of the kindest, sweetest women I knew and always generous in sharing her own ex ..read more

Did you know that rheumatoid arthritis (RA) can increase your risk of developing cardiovascular disease, also known as CVD or heart disease? Why does RA affect your heart health—and what can you do about it?  Heart risks with RA People with RA have a 50% increased risk to develop heart disease compared to people without RA. When you have RA, your risk of heart failure is doubled too. RA also increases your risk of developing high blood pressure or atrial fibrillation, also known as AFib, an abnormal heart rhythm. Having RA makes you more likely to have a stroke or heart attack at some poi ..read more

If you have been diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), the first thing you should know is that you are not alone. In the United States, 41 out of 100,000 people — or an estimated 1.3 million Americans — suffer from this unpredictable and sometimes debilitating condition.  Any RA experience is never pleasant and easy to talk about, especially for those who are young and not expected to be going through it. How painful RA can be can be difficult for other people to comprehend and can also be hard to explain.  Most people don’t know the complicated means many RA sufferers go throug ..read more

Deliberate Diets as a Lifestyle with Rheumatoid Arthritis By Elizabeth Hinojosa Vectra® Patient Ambassador Beth shares her experience managing her rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and how diet and the Vectra test played a role in her treatment plan. Receiving an RA diagnosis is like entering a new world where all the rules of engagement are rewritten, and you find yourself having to learn what works, what doesn’t, and all kinds of new ways to manage the body you’ve lived in for years. When I received my RA diagnosis, one of the first questions I asked my rheumatologist was whether this condition cou ..read more

One of the common misconceptions about rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is that it only affects a person’s joints. In fact, RA is an autoimmune disease that can affect the whole body, including internal organs. Research shows that patients with RA are at a significantly increased risk for cardiovascular disease. Vectra® Patient Ambassador Steve shared his experience with cardiovascular disease (CVD) and how he is navigating the competing challenges of RA and heart disease. By Steve Pritikin Steve’s Story When I was in my 50s, I received my RA diagnosis. One of the first things my doctor told me was ..read more

Books, television, and cinema give us insight into other people’s worlds. Good literature will challenge us, help us build empathy and expand our worldview. Here are 10 stories about rheumatoid arthritis that can help you understand this disease better. 1 Take Me Home from the Oscars: Arthritis, Television, Fashion, and Me A successful style and fashion reporter, her career depended on not being sick. In her book “Take Me Home from the Oscars: Arthritis, Television, Fashion, and Me," she finally stopped hiding, instead choosing to tell the truth about what it is like to be desperately i ..read more

Is stress a common challenge in your daily life? You’re not alone. According to a recent nationwide poll, eight in 10 American adults say that they grapple with stress either frequently or sometimes. Only a lucky 4% of Americans say they never have stress. Anything can be stressful. You may feel stress due to problems or challenges in any aspect of your life: your job, finances, family conflicts, even your refrigerator breaking down. Right now, there are other, less personal but powerful stressors: politics, the pandemic’s disruption to our daily lives, the holidays, the turbulent economy.&nbs ..read more

Vectra® is excited to announce the new Vectra Cardiovascular Risk Result!  Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) inflammation affects more than just your joints—it affects your whole body, including your heart and arteries. People with RA are at a 50% higher risk of a cardiovascular (CV) event than the general population.  Current CV assessments treat all patients with RA the same, regardless of levels of inflammation and current disease activity and tend to underestimate CV risk. That’s why Vectra Cardiovascular Risk was developed. Vectra Cardiovascular Risk provides you with your personalized ..read more

New RA Research Researchers are unraveling the mysteries of joint and tissue damage due to RA. You live with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) every day. But what’s happening inside your body that sets inflammation and joint damage in motion? One simple way you may explain RA to others is that you have an autoimmune disease. Your body’s immune system goes haywire for some reason. Cells that normally fight agents of disease attack your healthy tissue instead. We don’t really know why this breakdown happens, but exciting new RA research may tell us more. The Latest RA Research Leading scientists who s ..read more

For many rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients, the first step after receiving a diagnosis is to begin searching for more information about RA. In so doing, patients may find themselves immersed in a world of new terminology and concepts about the human body, the science of RA and potential treatments. Some patients take it even further and look to follow the latest from medical meetings, staying updated on new scientific studies. Vectra Ambassador LaRita was diagnosed with RA more than twenty years ago, but she’s been a fan of following the science from the very beginning. “My background is mo ..read more