The known risk factors for RA include:
- Sex: Women are two to three times more likely to develop RA than men.
- Age: RA occurs most commonly between the ages of 40 and 60.
- Family history: If a family member has RA you are at increased risk of the disease. However, the disease is probably not inherited directly; instead you can inherit a predisposition to developing RA.
- Smoking: For unknown reasons, smoking cigarettes increases your risk of developing RA.