For the first time, researchers in Sweden have discovered a connection between rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and cognitive decline in dementia patients.
The study, published in Neurology, suggests that dementia patients with RA experience poorer cognitive function and a higher risk of death compared to those without RA.
This finding highlights the importance of careful monitoring and treatment strategies to slow down memory loss and cognitive deterioration in people living with both conditions.
Researchers from Karolinska Institutet analyzed data from 1,685 dementia patients with RA and 5,055 dementia patients without RA. These groups were carefully matched based on age, gender, and other health conditions.
Over a follow-up period of three years, the results showed that:
- Dementia patients with RA had worse cognitive outcomes, especially those with Alzheimer’s disease or mixed Alzheimer’s dementia.
- They also had a higher risk of death compared to dementia patients without RA.
According to Dr. Minjia Mo, a postdoctoral researcher and first author of the study, these findings emphasize the need to identify inflammatory risk factors that contribute to dementia progression.
Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disease that causes chronic inflammation in the body. This study suggests that systemic inflammation from RA may worsen brain function in people with dementia.
The researchers used data from the Swedish Registry for Cognitive/Dementia Disorders (SveDem), analyzing patients diagnosed between 2007 and 2018. They tracked cognitive decline using Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE) scores and also looked at overall mortality rates.
Dr. Hong Xu, Assistant Professor at Karolinska Institutet and senior author of the study, says the team plans to continue their research to better understand how inflammation in RA contributes to brain decline.
“We will study specific inflammatory markers linked to RA and dementia progression. We also want to see if anti-inflammatory treatments for RA can help slow down dementia,” Dr. Xu explains.
This study is important because it raises awareness among doctors about the connection between RA and dementia. Patients with RA may need extra monitoring and a multidisciplinary care approach to manage their cognitive health.
If future research confirms that controlling inflammation can slow down dementia, it could lead to new treatment approaches for people with both conditions. For now, the findings suggest that early diagnosis and better management of RA could be an important step in reducing cognitive decline in dementia patients.
If you care about dementia, please read studies about low choline intake linked to higher dementia risk, and how eating nuts can affect your cognitive ability.
For more information about brain health, please see recent studies that blueberry supplements may prevent cognitive decline, and results showing higher magnesium intake could help benefit brain health.
The research findings can be found in Neurology.
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