A Surprising Link Between Multiple Chronic Illnesses
New research suggests that people who have inflammatory bowel disease or diabetes may have a higher risk of rheumatoid arthritis. Find out what we know about the connection so far, and what you can do to lower your odds of developing RA.
在许多人中随着慢性疾病 - 你知道的，你知道的乐趣 - 这么多的乐趣 - 是有一个终身状况往往会让你有风险造成他人的风险。事实上，根据兰德公司的一项研究，41％的美国人有一个以上的慢性病条件，这是一个非营利组织智库。
现在，新的研究表明有人inflammatory bowel disease (IBD)要么1型糖尿病may be more likely to go on to develop rheumatoid arthritis (RA) as well, according to a new study of 821 RA patients published in the journalAnnals of Rheumatic Diseases.
建立了良好的人RAoften develop other conditions (called comorbidities), like heart disease or chronic respiratory disease. But in this study, researchers found that people diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis were more likely to already have diagnoses of IBD or type 1 diabetes compared with any other comorbid conditions.
"Our results suggest that inflammatory bowel disease and type 1 diabetes may predispose to rheumatoid arthritis development, which merits further study,"said study author Vanessa Kronzer, M.D., an internist at the Mayo Clinic School of Graduate Medical Education in Rochester, MN.
One theory about how IBD and type 1 diabetes could make someone more likely to develop RA later? There may be a shared defect of the immune system that causes these conditions.
Can You Reduce Your Risk of RA?
So what if you already have type 1 diabetes or IBD—or both? While there’s no way to 100% guarantee you won’t get RA later, there are steps you can take to reduce your risk and to improve your overall health.
One major risk factor of RA is smoking, according to the Arthritis Foundation. So if you smoke, make the effort to quit right away. (Here are some helpful tips from the Cleveland Clinic to get you started.)
肥胖也可以提高你的发展ra的机会疾病预防控制中心. Prioritizing regular exercise and healthy eating (goplant-based!) can help you in your weight loss goals. If you have IBD, exercise can seem especially daunting—but we’ve got you covered: Here are somesolutions to common workout fears for people living with IBD.
Unfortunately, most other RA risk factors are out of your control—including your genetics, age (people in their 60s are most likely to get RA), and sex (women are two to three times more likely to get it than men). But working to adopt a healthy lifestyle, and managing your other conditions like IBD or diabetes, can go a long way in improving your overall well-being. Here are some great resources on HealthCentral for managing these other conditions:
IBD:
10 Ways to Help Manage IBD Without Drugs
Top 10 Apps to Help You Manage IBD
Diabetes:
10 Best Apps for Diabetes Management
Surprising Foods That Spike Your Blood Sugar
Last, but not least: At your next check-up, it’s worth talking with your doctor about your risk of RA—your doctor can help monitor you forsymptomsand, if you develop any, get you started on treatment ASAP.
