Tips on Living Longer with Rheumatoid Arthritis
Don’t let disease win. Here's how to add a decade to your life
By Denise Lynn Mann
Despite a plethora of promising new rheumatoid arthritis treatments and an emphasis on getting diagnosed earlier, people with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) do not seem to be living any longer today than they were 40 years ago, according to a recent study from the Mayo Clinic.
Within 10 years of being diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis between 1995 and 2000, 29 percent of people in the Mayo Clinic study had died. Only 24 percent of those diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis between 1955 and 1964 died within 10 years of diagnosis.
Why isn’t the situation getting better?
Researchers believe that for people with rheumatoid arthritis, heart disease is the reason for decreased life expectancy. But don’t let this grim-sounding news get you down. Longevity experts say that making some simple changes can help you reduce the increased risk of heart disease and add potentially lost years to close the “mortality gap.”
Incorporate the following health practices to add years to your life:
Floss your teeth every day
Researchers speculate that bacteria from the mouth may enter the bloodstream and contribute to inflammation and artery clogging. Keep your mouth clean, and you’ll not only feel more confident when talking with someone face to face, you’ll also protect your heart.
“Flossing regularly can make your real age as much as 6.4 years younger,” says Michael F. Roizen, MD, chief wellness officer of the Institute of Wellness at the Cleveland Clinic in Ohio, and the author of several books, including RealAge – Are You as Young as You Can Be? (Collins, 1999) and, along with Mehmet C. Oz, MD, You: Staying Young (Free Press, 2007).
Different than your chronological age – determined by the calendar – your real age is the biological age of your body, which is affected by lifestyle, genetics and medical history. The good news is that your real age can be altered based on positive changes that improve your health.
Fish in the fountain of youth
“Omega-3 fatty acids, such as those in fish oil and fatty fish, decrease heart disease risks in several ways,” says Dr. Roizen. They reduce levels of dangerous blood fats called triglycerides, slightly decrease blood pressure and slow the growth rate of artery-clogging plaque. Get omega-3s by consuming 2 grams of fish oil per day or eating 14 ounces of fatty fish a week, such as herring, salmon, sardines and tuna.
If this advice is too fishy for you, get your omega-3s from plants, instead. “Try plant-based docosahexaenoic acid (DHA),” says Dr. Roizen. To reap the benefits, aim for 600 milligrams of DHA a day from foods like walnuts or flaxseed. If you add these healthy fats to your existing food choices, your real age will be about 3.3 years younger. Even better, says Dr. Roizen, if you replace all saturated and trans fats with healthy omega-3s, your real age will be six years younger.
Move it and lose it
Exercise helps you feel better, and – even if you don’t lose weight doing it – the physical activity is good for your heart. And exercising regularly also can make your real age three to nine years younger, Dr. Roizen says. Aim for about 30 minutes a day (most days of the week) of combined cardio and strength training. And if you are able to exercise enough and manage your calorie intake so that you lose weight, the risk of heart disease will decrease, along with the number on the scale.
Fill up on fruits and veggies
“Eat five fruits and five vegetables every day,” says New York City-based anti-aging specialist Eric Braverman, MD. Fruits and veggies are loaded with antioxidants, which help cool inflammation. “If you do this, your erythrocyte sedimentation (sed) rate will fall, and you will see less joint damage,” he says. The sed rate is a measure of inflammation in the body. “You can turn back the clock 15 years,” Dr. Braverman adds.
Throw away the cigarettes – for good
Dr. Braverman’s promise is backed up by hard science. A new study of 20,000 adults shows that people can trim 14 years off their age by eating five or more fruits and vegetables daily, along with being physically active for at least 30 minutes per day, drinking alcohol in moderation and not smoking. And smoking is a definite no-no for people with rheumatoid arthritis – especially those who have the HLA-DRB1 and anti-CCP antibodies. People with that genetic combination tend to have more severe rheumatoid arthritis, and a new study shows that they also are the ones who may die prematurely from cardiovascular disease. Smoking heightens that risk.
Treat your RA
Regardless of the other changes you make, be sure to treat the underlying disease and inflammation of rheumatoid arthritis, Dr. Roizen advises. “There are a lot of effective drugs today that can help. And many studies show that people with rheumatoid arthritis whose disease is tightly controlled feel better, have less inflammation in their bodies and live longer because keeping inflammation from increasing out of control helps reduce the risk of heart disease,” he says.
If you haven’t already done so, consult your doctor about the rheumatoid arthritis treatments that are best for you.
