Q. I’ve been seeing news about treating rheumatoid arthritis before it even starts. Based on my symptoms or risk factors, is there anything I can do now to lower my chances of developing arthritis or slow it down?
A
People at higher risk of rheumatoid arthritis typically have positive autoantibodies on blood tests, joint symptoms or evidence of inflammation on imaging. Although in military recruits who had blood drawn and showed positive rheumatoid factor, the onset of arthritis may never occur or be delayed for 20 years or more. Certain lifestyle modifications are appropriate for anyone and may have benefits beyond preventing progression to arthritis. The most important thing to do is to quit smoking, which increases RA risk through gene-environment interactions and increased inflammation. Maintaining a healthy weight, increasing physical activity, optimizing diet (see page 4) and maintaining good dental hygiene can also help slow progression. Other things to consider are getting enough vitamin D, increasing consumption of omega-3 fatty acids, avoiding high-salt diets, and maximizing breastfeeding time, where applicable.
