Rheumatoid arthritis tends to strike women at a younger age than men -- and can hit harder, too. In one study, researchers found that women with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) reported more symptoms, and more severe ones, even when they had the same level of the disease as men. Women in the study also didn't respond as well to the same treatment as men.
Early in the disease, women with RA are also less likely than men to reach "remission," which means they have no symptoms. Some women may also have fibromyalgia, which can make RA symptoms worse.