Is rheumatoid arthritis associated with cognitive decline?

Comorbid rheumatoid arthritis could increase the risk of dementia-related mortality.

In a study published in Neurology, investigators examined the cognitive outcomes of 6,740 patients with dementia who either did or didn’t have rheumatoid arthritis.

After a median follow-up of 2.8 years, the investigators found that the patients with rheumatoid arthritis had a faster rate of cognitive decline and greater risk of mortality — particularly those who had a longer duration of rheumatoid arthritis or used disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs.

The findings indicated that the chronic inflammation associated with rheumatoid arthritis could accelerate the progression of dementia. The investigators emphasized the critical need to identify more effective strategies to manage patients with dementia and comorbid rheumatoid arthritis.

Read more: Neurology

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