Understanding RA/Diabetes connection

There’s research that suggests a connection between rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and diabetes. But the nature of that connection or even whether it’s actually real is unclear. "There are tantalizing links between the two diseases,” says Daniel Solomon, MD, MPH, an associate professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School and a rheumatologist at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston. But "at this point they are mainly speculative."

WebMD asked Solomon and Androniki Bili, MD, MPH, to explore the possible connection between RA and diabetes. Bili is an associate rheumatologist at Geisinger Health System in Danville, Pa. Here is what they had to say and how it might affect the way you manage RA.

RA/Diabetes Connection: What Are the links?

There are a number of theories about the connection between diabetes and rheumatoid arthritis. RA is an autoimmune disease. The immune system defends the body from invading organisms and substances that can cause damage. With RA, the body’s immune system attacks its own joints. The result of that attack is an ongoing inflammation, which is a hallmark of RA. Some research suggests that inflammation may also play a role in the onset of diabetes.

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