“Rheumatoid arthritis is an immune system disease that occurs when your immune system mistakenly attacks your body’s own tissues. The inflammation affects other parts of your body.”

People with RA are at risk of developing a number of inflammatory conditions, including heart disease.

In this article, you will learn about the connection between heart failure and RA, as well as how people with the disease can prevent it.

Inflammation can hurt your body in all kinds of ways. When inflammation is chronic (long lasting), it can contribute to a variety of health problems and complications. Chronic inflammation has been linked to the development of heart conditions such as coronary artery disease and heart failure.

Overall, heart disease is the leading cause of death in people with RA.

If your RA is severe or not well controlled, your risk of heart disease goes up even further.

People with RA primarily experience inflammation in their joints, but this inflammation actually affects their entire body. According to research, high C-reactive protein levels — an indicator of inflammation in the bloodstream — was linked to a higher risk of heart disease in people with RA.

According to a review of research studying more than 5 million people, people with RA were nearly twice as likely as the general population to develop heart failure.

Heat failure appears to be most common among women with RA. According to the research, which identified participants as either “men” or “women,” women with RA were three times more likely to develop heart failure than women without RA.

“When your heart isn’t able to pump blood well enough, it’s called heart failure. After a heart attack, your heart muscle can be damaged. Over time, it develops slowly.”

Heart failure is usually a result of another chronic condition.

Inflammation is one of the things that can increase your risk of heart failure. Other risk factors include:

The risk of heart problems in people with RA increases over time. Managing your condition can help lower your risk of heart disease and heart failure. This means that it’s important to work closely with a doctor or healthcare professional to treat your RA.

If your RA flares up, it is important to pay attention to your symptoms so that you can get help. Symptoms of your RA may be causing more inflammation than they used to.

Cardiac symptoms

People with RA are at increased risk of heart disease. Heart disease often develops before heart failure. If you experience any symptoms of heart disease, you should talk with a doctor right away. There are treatment options available.

Symptoms to look for include:

There are several different types of heart failure and degrees of damage you could experience. Depending on which side of your heart is most affected, your symptoms can vary.

Some common symptoms of heart failure include:

To lower your risk of heart disease and heart failure, you should work closely with a doctor, such as a rheumatologist. Treating your RA will help lower chronic inflammation and lower your chances of experiencing heart problems.

The medications used to treat lower inflammation and RA are listed.

Some of these medications, including over-the-counter sennas, can make heart failure worse in people who already have it. Before starting any new medications, be sure to check with a doctor.

There is more research needed on how the treatment of RA affects heart health and whether there are any protective strategies that could be used early on in the treatment process to head off cardiovascular problems.

People with RA can lower their risk of heart problems by dealing with other cardiac risk factors.

This can mean treating other conditions, such as high blood pressure., “It’s obese.”, and diabetes, which further increase your risk of heart disease. Or it could mean making healthy lifestyle changes that lower your overall risks and improve your heart health.

Examples include:

Treatments for heart failure help your heart pump harder or beat more frequently.

Some examples of medications that might be used to treat heart failure include:

Cardiac rehabilitation, surgery, and other therapies are also options for people with heart failure.

“People with RA are more likely to develop heart disease. Over time, chronic inflammation caused by RA affects your heart’s ability to function. Chronic inflammation can help lower your risk of cardiac problems.”