Rheumatoid arthritis may increase the risk of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), an inflammatorylung diseasethat makes breathing difficult, a new study shows. A Canadian study, which analyzed data from 24,265 patients with RA and 25,396 controls, found that people with RA had a 47% greater risk of being hospitalized for COPD than members of the general population.
Vitamin D Deficiency Associated with Neuropathic Pain
People with RA who suffer from neuropathic pain – or, understandably, are trying to avoid it – may do well to have theirvitamin D levelschecked. A study examined neuropathic pain indicators as well as blood samples of 93 patients with RA. The researchers found the prevalence of neuropathic pain was almost six times higher in patients with serum vitamin D levels below 20 nanograms per milliliter (ng/mL) than in patients with vitamin D levels ≥ 30 ng/mL. Anything below 20 ng/mL is considered a deficiency.
Children born to mothers withrheumatoid arthritis (RA)appear to have an increased risk of RA and two other chronic health problems, according to a study published online recently inArthritis Care & Research, although the number of children affected is still small. The findings are based on data for all children born in Denmark over a nearly 25-year period.
We asked our readers and followers this question: “What was the most unexpected side effect of yourrheumatoid arthritisorRA treatment?” Here are their answers.
People withrheumatoid arthritis (RA)have roughly twice the risk of healthy older adults of developing shingles, a virus related to chickenpox that causes pain and a blistering rash.
Most adults have been exposed to varicella zoster virus, which causes chickenpox. This virus is never completely cleared from our bodies, but lies quietly in spinal nerve cells. If it’s reactivated it causes shingles, explains rheumatologist Jeffrey Curtis, MD, professor medicine at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. The reactivated virus is called herpes zoster or shingles.
Thanks to earlier diagnosis and more effective treatments, joint deformities in people withrheumatoid arthritis (RA)are becoming less frequent and severe.
What Causes Joint Deformities in RA?
In a joint affected by RA, inflammatory cells of the immune system gather in the lining of the joint (called synovium), forming a fibrous layer of abnormal tissue (called pannus). The pannus releases substances that quicken bone erosion, cartilage destruction and damage to the surrounding ligaments. The involved joints lose their shape and alignment, resulting in deformities. Severe deformities lead to loss of joint function and the need for joint replacement surgery.
The fatigue that often accompaniesrheumatoid arthritis(RA) can be as distressing and disabling as the pain – and often harder to treat. RA-related fatigue has been associated with molecules called cytokines that promote inflammation, such as tumor necrosis factor (TNF), and the use of biologics that block TNF have been shown to somewhat reduce fatigue. But a new study published online in the journalRheumatologyquantifies just how stubborn RA-related fatigue is – even when the disease itself is well controlled with an anti-TNF medication – and characterizes which patients are most likely to beat it. Continue readingStudy Shows Fatigue Persists in Some Cases Even When Rheumatoid Arthritis Is Controlled→
If you have a few – or a lot – of pounds to lose, you know that carrying excess weight around can stress your painful or fragile joints. But research shows that the mechanical effects of weight are just part of the problem.
Fat itself releases chemicals including tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and interleukin-1 (IL-1) that promote inflammation. These chemicals may not only increase the risk of developing some forms of arthritis, but they may also increase arthritis severity or make it harder to control.
In fact a study presented at the 2015 annual meeting of the American College of Rheumatology found that for people with early rheumatoid arthritis (RA), being overweight or obese can reduce the chance of achieving sustained remission. Continue readingBeing Overweight Can Hurt Rheumatoid Arthritis Remission→