The Link Between Rheumatoid Arthritis And Heart Disease

People with Rheumatoid Arthritis lead a painful life. This kind of arthritis arises from adverse autoimmune reaction where the immune system attacks and destroys healthy tissue of the body, thinking that it is fighting an infection. This leads to chronic pain, swelling, redness and gradual loss of function in the affected joint. The inflammation which causes Rheumatoid Arthritis can spread to other organs, further damaging your health.

Now research has found that people who suffer from Rheumatoid Arthritis are at an increased risk of having heart disease. 

The study

In an article published in the journal Arthritis Research and Therapy, researchers observed more than 400 people who had been suffering from Rheumatoid Arthritis for about 5 years. Researchers carefully monitored disease progression, treatments taken, medicines prescribed and common risk factors of degraded heart health such as cholesterol level, blood pressure and blood sugar balance.

After an extended period of observation, researchers discovered that people with abnormal levels of chronic inflammation had noticeable drop in heart health and heightened risk of heart trouble.

But why?

While researchers said that more study was needed to explain the link between Rheumatoid Arthritis and impaired heart health, they reported that the aggressive autoimmune reaction is perhaps the most important culprit. This means that a proper treatment of Rheumatoid Arthritis cannot ignore the damage done by inflammation to vital organs like the heart. This study can be seen as a warning sign for medical professionals not to focus too excessively on just the affected joint and instead help the patient take necessary steps to safeguard heart health and general well-being.

How to ensure heart health

1. Get regular exercise: Perform moderate aerobic activities like walking, jogging or swimming at least thrice a week. You can also try out stretching exercises in order to limber up the affected joints before starting your day. This will improve blood circulation to the diseased joints and may even reduce the sensation of pain.  

2. Monitor your diet: What you eat can have enormous influence on your health, especially that of your heart. If you have Rheumatoid Arthritis, you need to eat anti-inflammatory foods like carrots, spinach, walnuts, oranges and bell peppers. This will help you stay fit and speed up the recovery process.

3. Take adequate rest: People with Rheumatoid Arthritis are known to feel tired. When you feel like this, then stop your activities and take a short 30-minute nap. You will wake up refreshed and reinvigorated. This will also temporarily reduce the workload of your heart muscles.

4. Avoid obesity: This is a particularly common risk factor for heart disease. The more excess fat you carry, the worse will your heart health become. You should talk to a nutritionist about your anxieties regarding obesity and follow the dietary recommendations.

5. Stay away from bad habits: Injurious activities like smoking or drinking alcohol can be enormously damaging to your health in the long run. Such bad habits help to intensify inflammation, which in turn endangers the affected joint as well as important organs like the heart. People with Rheumatoid Arthritis should stay away from such things as much as possible.

By Dr. Shabtab Khalid

Zilaxo Advanced Pain Solution

Note: Through the synergistic combination of Classical Homoeopathy, Ayurvedic-Unani Formulations and Internationally Acclaimed Advanced Physiotherapy, Zilaxo Advanced Pain Solution aims to eradicate joint pain, counter the process of degeneration and promote bone health. The protocol is at once scientific, effective as well as safe. To avail treatment at Zilaxo, call on 1800 419 6607 (Toll free) or WhatsApp at +91 98304 26607.

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