What are the risks of untreated rheumatoid arthritis? If rheumatoid arthritis is not treated, the disease will recur and intensify, which may eventually lead to the destruction of joint structures, varying degrees of ankylosis and deformity, as well as osteoporosis and skeletal muscle atrophy, resulting in the loss of joint function and the ability to care for oneself. According to medical statistics, the 2-year disability rate for patients with untreated rheumatoid arthritis is 50% and the 3-year disability rate is 70%. The average life expectancy of patients with rheumatoid arthritis is 10-15 years shorter than that of their peers, and some patients also die due to lesions that erode the heart, blood vessels, lungs and nervous system. This is the reason that once you have this disease or suspect that you have this disease, you should seek medical attention in a timely manner, especially for some mild rheumatoid arthritis, because the early symptoms are mild and easy to repeatedly delay, which can cause misdiagnosis, thus delaying the best time for treatment, so early diagnosis and early treatment is very necessary. Can rheumatoid arthritis be cured? Rheumatoid arthritis can be completely relieved with regular medication. We can say that the swelling of the joints disappears completely, basically no pain, the blood index is significantly reduced, and the disease is controlled in a very stable state, so that the patient can work and live like a normal person. However, the word “cure” is generally not used, just as the word “cure” cannot be used for hypertension, only “control” can be used. If regular treatment, rheumatoid can be cured better than hypertension, can be a long time without medication, but some patients can have a relapse, relapse is not afraid, and then regular treatment according to medical advice can still be controlled and remission. But hypertension, heart disease is generally can not stop the drug, in this sense the prognosis of rheumatoid treatment is relatively good, patients and family members must have confidence. Rheumatoid arthritis patients need to emphasize three ideas: first, have confidence: to overcome the disease must have confidence, no matter what the current level of disease, as long as the standard treatment will be able to completely remission. The second, have patience: rheumatoid treatment over a period of time, some patients may need to go through a few weeks, some patients after several months of treatment to have remission. The third rule, to standardize: emphasize the correct use of drugs, personalized treatment plan. Patients should pay attention to avoid some misconceptions and must not treat indiscriminately, trusting in the secret and biased recipes of the society. Is rheumatoid arthritis hereditary? Studies have shown that there is a slight tendency for rheumatoid arthritis to run in families and for twins to have the disease together, but the chance of having the disease together is not 100% for identical twins, but only 30%-50%, and only about 5% for dizygotic twins. This suggests that rheumatoid arthritis, like hypertension and diabetes, is not determined by a single gene and that non-genetic factors also play a role in its development. Is it possible to get pregnant with rheumatoid arthritis? If the treatment is very good, it is perfectly possible to get pregnant and have children after stopping the medication. However, the timing of pregnancy should be under the guidance of the doctor, the disease is better controlled, and some drugs are stopped for a long time before preparing for pregnancy. Do not get pregnant immediately after stopping the medication, but follow the doctor’s instructions.