Dr. Punam Krishan is sounding the alarm on rheumatoid arthritis in young adults, warning that the autoimmune condition can strike patients as early as age 16.
The Glasgow-based GP, who is partnering with British mobility brand Stannah on an awareness campaign, said symptoms in younger people are frequently dismissed as everyday fatigue or overuse. “For younger people, it’s often easier to explain away and overlook symptoms that are so commonly associated with older generations,” she said.
Stiff fingers after a workday might be blamed on typing or manual labor, while persistent tiredness gets lost in the shuffle of busy schedules, Krishan noted. The condition, which occurs when the immune system attacks tissue lining joints on both sides of the body, affects roughly 1.5 million adults in the United States alone, according to Cleveland Clinic data.
“Pain and stiffness are the most common joint symptoms that younger people come to me with in the first place,” the doctor explained.
Krishan drew a sharp line between normal soreness and warning signs that demand medical attention. Minor sprains and strains typically improve within about two weeks, she said. When healing drags on or swelling and stiffness begin migrating to other joints, that pattern warrants a doctor’s visit.
The physician also flagged a broader diagnostic hurdle: general practitioners themselves sometimes miss rheumatoid arthritis in younger patients because the condition remains so strongly linked to advanced age in medical culture and public perception. CDC figures show arthritis prevalence climbs dramatically with age, from 3.6 percent among adults 18 to 34 up to 53.9 percent in those 75 and older, reinforcing that stereotype.
To counter this, Krishan urged anyone with concerns to keep a detailed symptom log tracking when problems emerge, whether after periods of rest or following physical activity. Such records can help cut through age-based assumptions during medical consultations.
Family history carries weight too, she warned. The condition can run in families, so patients should proactively mention any relatives with rheumatoid arthritis to their physicians.
Gender also skews risk dramatically. Women are three times more likely than men to develop rheumatoid arthritis, though researchers have not yet determined why this disparity exists.
Krishan offered a concrete threshold for seeking help. “My golden rule is to visit your GP if you’re relying on painkillers most days just to get through stiffness or pain. That’s your body telling you to get it looked at properly,” she added.
The campaign arrives as autoimmune conditions among younger demographics draw increasing scrutiny from researchers and patient advocates frustrated by delayed diagnoses. Krishan’s partnership with Stannah, a company best known for stairlifts and home elevators traditionally marketed to elderly users, represents an unusual but deliberate effort to reach a demographic that rarely considers itself at risk for degenerative joint disease.
Beyond joint-specific complaints, the broader symptom picture can include persistent fatigue that feels disproportionate to activity levels, morning stiffness lasting more than 30 minutes, and symmetrical joint involvement that distinguishes inflammatory arthritis from mechanical wear. These patterns, Krishan emphasized, should not be normalized as simply the cost of modern work life or active lifestyles.
Early intervention matters because untreated rheumatoid arthritis can progressively damage joints and affect other organ systems, making prompt recognition particularly valuable in younger patients who face decades of potential disease activity.
Stannah has not announced additional campaign events beyond the initial awareness push with Krishan.