Rheumatoid Arthritis Is Linked to Type 2 Diabetes Risk

Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) is associated with a 23% increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes (T2D), according to the results of study presented at the annual meeting of the European Association for the Study of Diabetes, which was held virtually in September 2020.

Systemic inflammation associated with RA may contribute to the risk of a patient developing T2D, according to investigators.

Inflammation has been identified as a key factor in the onset and progression of T2D.

Because RA is an autoimmune and inflammatory disease, the inflammation associated with RA may contribute to an increased risk of T2D, according to the study results.

The investigators examined a cohort of studies comparing the incidence of T2D among individuals with RA with diabetes risk within the general population up to March 10, 2020.

Approximately 1.6 million participants were included. The majority of studies were population based, and 1 was hospital based. No evidence of publication bias was identified for any of them.

Compared with the general population, individuals with RA were 23% more likely to develop T2D, the investigators found.

The findings support the hypothesis that inflammatory pathways are involved in the pathogenesis of diabetes.

REFERENCE

Study shows that rheumatoid arthritis is associated with a 23% increased risk of developing diabetes. News release. Diabetalogia. September 20, 2020. Accessed December 7, 2020.https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2020-09/d-sst_1091720.php