11 Famous People With Rheumatoid Arthritis

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RA throughout history

By Anne Harding

Archaeological investigations have turned up evidence of injuries, degenerative disease, infections, and tumors in ancient skeletons, but no signs (yet) of rheumatoid arthritis (RA).

"It isn’t clear how old rheumatoid arthritis is," says Nortin Hadler, MD, a professor of rheumatology and microbiology/immunology at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. "The more you look for it in history, the less you find it."

Here is a list of famous people who’ve battled the disease in recent history. (The first confirmed cases of RA were probably in the late 1800s.)

Next: Lucille Ball