Do You Have Rheumatoid Arthritis? Are You at Risk for Diabetes?

One of the things that modern medicine continues to discover is the large number of links between diseases. If you have one condition then you are more at risk for another disease is the way it works.

Researchers are just finding out that when a person has rheumatoid arthritis they are more at risk for developing diabetes.

What is the reason for this?

As with many discoveries today the reason this occurs specifically is not known, although researchers do have some ideas.

The cornerstone of problems with conditions as usual is exercise or more appropriately the lack of exercise.

When a person develops rheumatoid arthritis they do not move as much. This encourages other problems because the body does not function and does not burn food as it should.

If exercise is the common activity key then the fact that both rheumatoid arthritis and diabetes are autoimmune disorders is the lock that the key opens.

Rheumatoid arthritis affects the joints and joint tissues. Diabetes affects the body's ability to cope with insulin in one way or another and the fact that the joint problems are essentially inflammation brings diabetes into the picture. Together they put a person in a terrible situation.

Prednisone which is a key medication used to treat rheumatoid arthritis, can cause weight gain. This can cause Type 2 diabetes. Not only does the weight gain play towards this but it raises blood sugar levels. Further, prednisone affects how the pancreas works.

Women are much more likely to develop rheumatoid arthritis. Therefore they are more likely to develop these conditions simultaneously.

There are several ways that a person can try and stay healthy.

As I mentioned earlier it is very important to stay active. Sometimes it is hard to exercise or walk due to pain. Simply do what you can. My wife has rheumatoid arthritis and it is hard to walk.

We found a hotel that will let us use their pool and hot tub for a couple bucks per use and it is a lot of fun and good for us.

If you smoke, stop smoking. In fact if you do not have rheumatoid arthritis and smoke, stop smoking. There is probably no more single thing we can do to ruin our health than smoke. The saddest thing is that it comes back to ruin the end of lives.

Finally, where you can cut down on your medication.

Often if you really change your habits you will find you don't need "all those pills."

As I said my wife has rheumatoid arthritis.

It is a disease that takes the wind out of your sails.

When your mind and body are "down" you become a target for more disaster like diabetes.

Usually if you do what you can, you will find life is much better for you.

References:

"The Link between Rheumatoid Arthritis and Diabetes," Article, Black, Rosemary, "Quality Health"

Personal Experience