Changes in the gut microbiome before rheumatoid arthritis is developed could provide a window of opportunity for preventative treatments, new research suggests. Bacteria associated with inflammation is found in the gut in higher amounts roughly ten months before patients develop clinical rheumatoid arthritis, a longitudinal study by Leeds researchers has found. Affecting more than half a million people in the UK, rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic disease that causes swelling, pain and stiffness in the joints because the immune system is mistakenly attacking the body's healthy cells.
Previous research has linked rheumatoid arthritis to the gut microbiome, which is the ecosystem of microbes in your intestines. But this new study, published today in the Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases , reveals a potential intervention point. Patients at risk of rheumatoid arthritis are already experiencing symptoms such as fatigue and joint pain, and they may know someone in their family who has developed the disease.
As there is no known cure, at-risk patients often feel a sense of hopelessness, or even avoid getting tested. This new research might give us a major opportunity to act sooner to prevent rheumatoid arthritis." Dr.
Christopher Rooney, Lead Researcher, NIHR Academic Clinical Lecturer at the University of Leeds and Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust Major opportunity for treatment Funded by Versus Arthritis, the longitudinal study was conducted on 19 patients at risk of rheumatoid a.