(p. 577) Management of common types of arthritis in older adults 

The main forms of inflammatory arthritis are rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, and ankylosing spondylitis. They are long-term disorders and consequently their prevalence increases with age; the lifetime risk of developing rheumatoid arthritis is over 3% in women. Their characteristic features comprise joint pain, swelling, and tenderness, morning stiffness, and general symptoms such as malaise. Polyarthritis is commoner in rheumatoid arthritis. The ESR and C-reactive protein levels are high in active arthritis. The main radiological finding is erosive disease. Symptomatic treatment includes analgesics and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. Disease-modifying drugs (DMARDs) change the course of these diseases; their main use is in rheumatoid arthritis. Biologic drugs help when other treatments are insufficient; they include tumour necrosis factor inhibitors which benefit all types of inflammatory arthritis, and other biologics targeting B- and T-cells are mainly used in rheumatoid arthritis. The risks of adverse events and drug toxicity are higher in elderly patients.