A recent study suggests that triglycerides, which are the most common type of fat in blood, could be a potential modifiable risk factor for rheumatoid arthritis in women.
Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic autoimmune disease that affects women more frequently than men. The condition is characterised by joint inflammation, pain, and swelling, which in severe cases can lead to joint deformities and functional disabilities.
Triglycerides play a key role in lipid metabolism and are known to be linked to inflammation and metabolic disorders, both of which contribute to the development of rheumatoid arthritis.
However, the connection between triglyceride levels and the prevalence of rheumatoid arthritis in women has not been fully understood until now.
To explore this further, a team of researchers from Suining Municipal Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine in Sichuan, China, analysed data from 10,728 female participants collected between 1999 and 2018. Of these women, 639 were diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis, reports said.
The results of the study, which were published in the journal BMC Women’s Health, revealed that higher triglyceride levels were significantly associated with a higher prevalence of rheumatoid arthritis among the women.
The study found that the positive association between elevated triglyceride levels and the occurrence of rheumatoid arthritis remained significant even after adjusting for various confounding factors.
This suggests that elevated triglyceride levels could serve as a modifiable risk factor for the disease. Chang-Mei Zeng, one of the researchers involved in the study, pointed out that monitoring triglyceride levels in women with rheumatoid arthritis could be beneficial.
She added that targeting triglyceride levels through lifestyle changes or medication might help reduce inflammation and improve patient outcomes.
The researchers also highlighted that the progression of rheumatoid arthritis in women is often more complex due to factors such as hormonal fluctuations, immune response differences, and metabolic disturbances.
