Take Heart

If you have RA, you should keep tabs on your heart health, even though it’s a challenge to find the time or emotional resources to take on another set of health worries. Mayo Clinic researchers have found that among most 60 to 69 year olds who are newly diagnosed with RA there is a 20 percent chance of developing a serious cardiovascular condition. People without RA have less than half the risk. “These results emphasize the importance of performing a comprehensive cardiovascular risk assessment for all newly diagnosed rheumatoid arthritis patients,” says Sherine Gabriel, M.D., the study’s senior author and Mayo Clinic rheumatologist and epidemiologist.

Source: Health Insider

More Responsibility, Less RA

Having more stress and responsibility, what researchers call high psychological demands, may make you lose sleep or even feel grumpy, but according to Swedish scientists it also reduces your chances of developing rheumatoid arthritis (RA). But those who have jobs that make them feel “job strain”, a combination of high psychological demands and a low level of control at work, are at a 30 percent higher risk of developing RA.

Source: Health Insider