According to Healio, a recent study has found that patients with ovaries who have asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) are at a higher risk of developing rheumatoid arthritis. These findings signify that these patients are more at risk regardless of their smoking status or other environmental factors. Read the full study in Arthritis & Rheumatology.
About Rheumatoid Arthritis
Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic inflammatory disorder that affects the joints throughout the body, including joints in the hands and feet. Generally, RA is progressive, but some patients will not experience an increase in symptoms. Other patients may experience rapid-onset symptoms. These symptoms include painful swelling of the joints, stiffness or tenderness, fatigue, and anemia. After having the disorder for a longer period of time, patients may experience bone erosion or deformity.
People with rheumatoid arthritis may eventually struggle with grip strength or climbing the stairs. It is more highly diagnosed in adults, and is more often present in female patients than male patients. Treatments for RA include anti-inflammatories and pain medication, exercise, acupuncture, and transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS).
Learn more about rheumatoid arthritis here.
The Study
In patients experiencing inflammation of the airways in their body, researchers discovered antibodies like rheumatoid factor and CCP. These antibodies are generally specific to rheumatoid arthritis. Thus, researchers questioned whether there was any intersection between asthma and COPD, diseases related to chronic inflammation, and RA.
The American Lung Association defines chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) as a chronic lung disease characterized by inflamed lung tissue. As lung passages thicken, patients find it more difficult to breathe. COPD may also be called chronic bronchitis or emphysema. Read more about COPD here.
The study examined data from 205,153 women over the course of 26 years. One data set lasted from 1988 to 2014, while the other was from 1991 to 2015. Next, they confirmed 15,148 cases of asthma and 3,573 of COPD. In addition to this information, researchers chronicled which patients smoked, how many packs per day, and for how many years.
During years of patient follow-up, researchers found 1,060 cases of rheumatoid arthritis. They then adjusted the data based on information gleaned regarding smoking. Ultimately, they discovered two findings:
- Asthma increased the risk of rheumatoid arthritis compared to patients with no prior respiratory issues, even when asthma patients were not smokers
- COPD increased the risk of rheumatoid arthritis compared to patients with no prior respiratory issues, particularly if they were also smokers above age 55
What’s Next?
Based on these findings, female smokers with COPD over age 55 had double the risk of developing rheumatoid arthritis. Patients with asthma had a 50% risk increase.
Moving forward, this does have implications for patient care. Patients with COPD or asthma should speak to their doctors immediately if experiencing any symptoms of inflammation, joint pain, or arthritis. Clinicians should also look out for symptoms. If these develop, a referral to a rheumatologist is the next step.
