Study points to link between Rheumatoid arthritis and risk of diabetes

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is associated with a 23 percent increased risk of type 2 diabetes (T2D), and may indicate that both diseases are linked to the body's inflammatory response, suggests a new study.

The research was conducted by Zixing Tian and Dr Adrian Heald, University of Manchester, UK, and colleagues.

Inflammation has emerged as a key factor in the onset and progression of T2D, and RA is an autoimmune and inflammatory disease.

The team suggests that the systemic inflammation associated with RA might therefore contribute to the risk of individuals developing diabetes in the future.

The team conducted a comprehensive search of a range of medical and scientific databases up to March 10, 2020, for cohort studies comparing the incidence of T2D among people with RA to the diabetes risk within the general population.

Statistical analyses were performed to calculate the relative risks, as well as to test for possible publication bias (in which the outcome of research influences the decision of whether to publish it or not).The eligible studies identified comprised a total of 1,629,854 participants.