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Chronic inflammation from rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and other factors may increase your risk of heart disease. However, you can reduce your risk by getting regular exercise, eating a healthy diet, and taking medications as prescribed.

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an autoimmune form of arthritis that affects more than just your joints. It can also affect other tissues and organs, and it may cause problems in the heart.

However, just because you have RA doesn’t mean you’ll have issues with your heart. There are steps you can take to keep your heart healthy and avoid developing heart disease.

Read on to find out the connection between RA and heart disease and how you can lower your risk factors for developing heart disease if you’re living with RA.

Chronic inflammation from RA increases the risk of heart disease.

Inflammation damages the blood vessels and can cause plaque to build in the arteries. Plaque in the arteries can narrow the blood vessels and block blood flow, leading to heart attack or stroke.

Proteins called cytokines are linked to the growth and activity of other immune system cells. These proteins are responsible for both the way RA attacks the joints and the way it damages blood vessels in cardiovascular disease.

Inflammation isn’t the only link between RA and heart disease. Many of the risk factors for RA are the same as the risk factors for heart disease.

Risk factors for both RA and heart disease include:

High blood pressure

If you have RA, your blood pressure is likely to be higher due to:

Inflammation is also linked to higher blood pressure. People with RA may have up to 10 times the amount of inflammation as a person who doesn’t have RA.

Obesity

Having obesity may be linked to the risk of developing RA.

According to the Arthritis Foundation, the sore joints associated with RA can make it hard to exercise, and lack of exercise can cause weight gain.

Additionally, obesity is associated with inflammation and other risk factors for heart disease including high blood sugar and high blood pressure.

Obesity is also linked to metabolic syndrome. Metabolic syndrome is a group of symptoms that include other risk factors that raise the risk of heart disease including:

  • high triglycerides and cholesterol
  • high blood pressure
  • high blood sugar

Metabolic syndrome is twice as common in people with RA compared to people who don’t have RA.

Lipid paradox

RA affects the fats in the blood in a unique way. Individuals with RA generally have:

While having low levels of LDL is associated with heart health, having too little good cholesterol and high triglycerides can increase the risk of heart disease.

Smoking

People who smoke are more likely to develop RA than people who do not smoke. Further, if you have RA, you’re more likely to have more severe symptoms than someone who does not smoke.

Smoking also makes RA medications less effective.

In addition to increasing the risk of and worsening RA, smoking is also a major cause of heart disease. An individual with RA who smokes is 50% more likely to develop heart disease than a person who doesn’t smoke and has RA.

Even though RA increases the risk of heart disease, you can work with your doctor to lower your risk.

One of the easiest ways to protect yourself from heart disease related to RA is taking the medications your doctor prescribes to control the inflammation from RA.

Disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs) reduce the inflammation associated with RA and may reduce the risk of heart disease.

Though people living with RA have an increased risk of heart disease, medical guidelines in the United States don’t have specific recommendations to reduce heart disease if you have RA.

However, the European League Against Rheumatism (EULAR) recommends you should be screened every 5 years for risk factors of heart disease.

You can also make some lifestyle changes to help lower your risk of heart disease. The American Heart Association suggests the following tips to reduce the risk of heart disease:

  • eating a balanced diet of vegetables, fruits, and whole grains
  • getting at least 150 minutes of aerobic exercise per week
  • maintaining a healthy weight
  • avoiding smoking or quitting
  • managing any health conditions like RA that raise your risk of heart disease
  • taking any medication prescribed by a doctor to prevent heart disease, like statins

RA increases the risk of developing heart disease due to inflammation and shared risk factors.

Though there’s an increased risk, you can take steps to lower the chances of developing heart disease even if you’re living with RA.

Some things you can do to lower your risk include taking your medications as prescribed, eating a balanced diet, getting regular exercise, avoiding or quitting smoking, and maintaining a healthy weight.