Are rheumatoid arthritis and osteoporosis connected in young women

There exists a link between rheumatoid arthritis and osteoporosis in older individuals, but does this link also affect those under fifty?

It has been discovered in a Mayo Clinic study that women under the age of fifty with rheumatoid arthritis are more at risk of broken bones. Men in this age group don’t seem to have the same risk, although both older men and women are at risk of broken bones or fractures.

(Source – http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/ – July 2011)

“Understanding what contributes to the risk for fractures for all with rheumatoid arthritis, including young women, would help us better prevent them,” says lead researcher Shreyasee Amin, M.D.

It is a known fact that people with rheumatoid arthritis are more likely to have a condition called osteoporosis, or “brittle bones” This is partly due to medication prescribed to arthritis sufferers such as steroids, which can causes bone loss. People who have rheumatoid arthritis are also less likely to do weight bearing exercise and we know that inactivity can lead to bone weakness.

Although we don’t know what causes bone weakness in young people with rheumatoid arthritis, doing things to prevent osteoporosis, even at a young age, cannot hurt. This includes eating a healthy diet with plenty of bone friendly minerals such as calcium, magnesium and strontium. Getting enough weight bearing exercise such as aerobics, gentle weight lifting and even walking can also strengthen bones.

Although the link between rheumatoid arthritis and osteoporosis has only been established in older people, doing everything possible to strengthen bones simply makes good sense.

Wendy Owen (HH Dip)