A study recently emerged comparing how men and women differ in the speed at which they receive treatment for rheumatoid arthritis after its initial onset. And it could really make or break your success with the disease.

The study published in the Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases comparing treatment differences between men and women found that there is a noticeable and significant finish line for men and women when searching for a diagnosis.

In what experts refer to as “patient delay,” or the time from onset of symptoms to a referral, researchers looked at the lag time between when symptoms first appear and treatment is sought from a professional. Women routinely were much later on the gun to seek and receive help than men.

While total delay between both sexes was very long (an average of 16 weeks), men typically were able to receive the referral and subsequent treatment in about a third of the time it took women.

Arthritis symptoms, causes, and natural treatments explained here…