Red meat doubles rheumatoid arthritis risk

If you eat lots of red meat you may be doubling your chances of developing rheumatoid arthritis, say researchers from the
University of Manchester, UK.


Researchers compared 88 rheumatoid arthritis patients, drawn from a research sample of over 25,000 men and women between the
ages of 45 and 70, with 176 controls. Participants in the study completed a seven-day food diary and were asked about their
smoking habits.


Results showed those eating the most red meat had twice the risk of developing rheumatoid arthritis. Patients consuming red
meat as well as other types of meat had similar higher risk factors. However, higher levels of dietary fats, including
saturated fat, did not appear to have an effect.


Researchers say they are unsure exactly why red meat has this effect, speculating the high collagen content of meat may
provoke an immune response in individuals with a predisposition for rheumatoid arthritis. Thus researchers conclude saying
that, a high level of red meat consumption may represent a novel risk factor for inflammatory arthritis or may act as a
marker for a group of persons with an increased risk from other lifestyle causes.


What is rheumatoid arthritis?


Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is actually a family of related diseases, not a single entity. The problems are primarily a
consequence of persistent inflammation . In the right place and for a limited period, such as a localised infection,
inflammation is good, because it is the body's mechanism for dealing with the problem. It results in the attraction of white
cells from the blood, which help fight the infection.


In RA, however, the inflammation becomes persistent, without having any known beneficial effect. It happens in the layers of
tissue that line the joint (the synovium), causing pain and swelling and stiffness when moving the joint. There may be
excessive production of the synovial fluid that lubricates the joint, making pressure build up and causing pain.


Whilst any joint can be affected, it is usually in the small peripheral joints, such as those in the fingers or wrist, that
this is first noticed. Often, joints are affected symmetrically. Other features that can accompany RA include the presence of
a protein called Rheumatoid Factor in the blood. Sometimes, usually after many months, the development of pits or erosions
can occur in thejoints; this can be seen by X-ray. Although RA usually begins to affect people from their forties onwards, it
can strike at any age, including young children.