New research shows that people with diagnosed diabetes are nearly twice as likely to have arthritis, indicating a diabetes-arthritis connection. If you have both conditions, you probably take different treatments for them. You probably see different doctors for them. But the lifestyle changes you make for one may be good for the other. Eating smaller portions of healthy foods and walking daily, for instance, are important parts of treating diabetes; rheumatoid arthritis benefits from the same activities.
Diabetes occurs when the body does not produce or use the hormone insulin sufficiently. Insulin shuttles glucose from foods into cells so it can be converted into energy. Without insulin, glucose remains in your blood (raising blood glucose levels), your cells create less energy and you feel fatigued.
What starts off as a hormonal problem can evolve into joint problems, in addition to the widely known cardiovascular problems.
Diabetes causes musculoskeletal changes that lead to symptoms such as joint pain and stiffness; swelling; nodules under the skin, particularly in the fingers; tight, thickened skin; trigger finger; carpal tunnel syndrome; painful shoulders; and severely affected feet. After having had diabetes for several years, joint damage – called diabetic arthropathy – can occur.
Though they both share connections with diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and osteoarthritis (OA) are related to the disease in different ways. Having arthritis does not mean you’ll develop diabetes, or vice versa, but taking good care of your health in response to one condition might mean staving off or minimizing the other.
Autoimmunity and type 1 diabetes
Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disease, as is rheumatoid arthritis. In people who have type 1 diabetes, the body attacks the pancreas, the organ where insulin is made, just as RA attacks the synovial tissue lining the joints. Inflammation is the common culprit.
Levels of inflammatory markers, such as C-reactive protein (CRP) and interleukin-6 (IL-6), which often are high in people with rheumatoid arthritis, also are increased in those with type 1 diabetes. A study of people who had type 1 diabetes for longer than five years shows an increase in tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-a), another inflammatory marker often elevated in people with inflammatory forms of arthritis. Inhibiting TNF-a with drugs such as adalimumab (Humira), etanercept (Enbrel) and infliximab (Remicade) is the goal of treating arthritis and related conditions.
Any advise
The first thing i thought of was Arthritis. So, i seached and found your link. Its very informative and now i can ask the Dr. if there can be a link between the two autoimmune diceases.
Sincerely,
BJ
Recently, we observe that her right side knee has developed some swelling and pain is being felt.
Please guide us in this regard so that we can take appropriate steps from further complications
i always take nutritious diet but it does'nt work due to ibs problems and hyper acidity problems. another problem of mine is that i can not do yoga or pranayams due to filthy smells at my flat at ground floor and i am unable to go outside due to my job's timings. please suggest something for my problems if possible.
I am suffering from diabeties from past 6 years, but recently i have changed my diet but foot joints are paining. I have the doubt that am i have been attacked by arthrities. Kindly tell me what is reason?
Muralidhara.S
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