According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 54.4 million adults in the United States have undergone some form of arthritis diagnosis. Among these people, 23.7 million people have been somewhat limited in their activities. RA is a synovial disease that attacks and destroys joints. It eventually causes the destruction of bones and cartilage inside the joint. Secondary arthritis, an arthritis that develops after joint damage, can sometimes take years to come.