New research has found a link between patients with rheumatoid arthritis and a 47 percent higher risk of having COPD and being hospitalized. This find was published in Arthritis Care & Research. One of the primary characteristics of COPD is inflammation. As it happens rheumatoid arthritis is an inflammatory condition. If you can see where the research is going, the two share strong characteristics of inflammation.
The team behind the paper looked at data from the population of British Columbia. They compared records of 24,625 patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis diagnosed from 1996-2006, to a control group of 25,396 randomly selected individuals.
Their results were clear. There was a much higher chance of having COPD and being hospitalized in those with Rheumatoid Arthritis.
Before publishing the paper, they ruled out other potential factors that might influence the results in one way or another. They found no strong factors that would impact these results. The end result is a 47 higher chance of finding yourself in the hospital when you have COPD and Rheumatoid Arthritis.
Prof. Lacaille of the team behind the paper went on to say “These findings are novel because it has only recently been recognized that inflammation plays a role in the development of COPD.”
Those who have Rheumatoid Arthritis should keep an eye out for the early signs of COPD so that treatment can begin as soon as possible. This will help keep the damage from being irreversible.
Some early signs of COPD might include:
- Wheezing
- Having Shortness of Breath
- Tightness in the chest area
- Chronic Cough
