Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that people, particularly those within the highest risk groups, are aware of the signs and symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis.

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) estimates that there as many as 422,000 people affected in the whole of the United Kingdom.

Whilst the exact cause of the condition is not known, the following risk factors can play a role in the development of the disease:

- age, as the condition is most commonly diagnosed between the ages of 40 and 60;

- sex, as the overall occurrence of condition is two to four times greater in women than men;

- smoking;

- obesity; and

- there is also some evidence to suggest genes are a factor.

Information on the symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis, risk factors and the treatment of the condition can be found on the National Health Service website at the following link:

www.nhs.uk/conditions/rheumatoid-arthritis/causes/

The NICE guideline also provides information for clinicians on the diagnosis, treatment, care and support of patients with the condition. The guideline can be found at the following link:

www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng100