Risk for Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease in Patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis

Rheumatoid Arthritis and COPD!!! The Hidden Fact

Rheumatoid arthritis is detectable by the early manifestations like pain, morning stiffness and fatigue. When there is a favorable genetic predisposition, the condition is more severe in early life for all the patients with RA. Early detection of RA with widespread awareness and education about the available treatment options like physiotherapy management of cryotherapy, thermotherapy, electrical stimulation and wax therapy were gained increased recognition only at the chronic stage of RA, When the patients complaints of intolerable pain and stiffness [1]. Rheumatoid arthritis is an auto- immune disorder and the systemic consequences can end in a grave situation. The most unexpected pulmonary manifestation of rheumatoid arthritis is COPD-Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease. When the gender differences were examined, it has been reported by the arthritis foundation that majority of women has been affected with Rheumatoid arthritis has COPD. There are still much debate exists on COPD and RA. Hence this topic needs special attention from the researchers to minimize the adverse effects in lung tissues [2].

Women with RA has a greater predisposition for COPD, 3 facts have been highlighted by the previous researchers in RA. Fact 1 is about, when the patients diagnosed with RA will have autoimmune deficit and this might have a sole consequence on the immune system, this leads a way to a greater extent of pulmonary infections like chronic bronchitis and emphysema [3]. The second fact is about the medications, the patients ingest to get relieved of the prima ry symptoms like pain, early morning stiffness and inflammation can lead to lung infections at the earlier stage and later it affects the lung tissues by causing irreversible lung damage COPD [4]. Fact 3 is about the inflammation; the synovial joint inflammation can lead to COPD and all these facts remains as hypothesis without further researchers and majority of the female population has been affected with RA and with the positive diagnosis of COPD. Thus, all these patients needs an early diagnosis and appropriate treatment intervention at the earliest to reduce the consequences of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and to avoid the extra pulmonary manifestations of COPD like Skeletal muscle Dysfunction can be prevented by early identification and detection of COPD in patients with RA [5].

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