If you are hurting from rheumatoid arthritis (RA), you may have to cope with more than swollen, stiff joints if you have rheumatoid arthritis (RA). According to the Arthritis Foundation, RA can also be connected to other health issues such as heart disease, lung problems, eye diseases, and skin lumps and rashes.

Furthermore, RA has been linked to an increased risk of dementia. As reported by a study published in the journal Cureus in April 2020, having RA increases the chance of dementia.

Other determinants may also have a role in this crisis. People with RA who also have undergone heart disease risk factors or heart disease had a higher risk of dementia than those with RA but no heart-related risk factors, according to a study issued in the journal Seminars in Arthritis and Rheumatism in February 2021.

Rheumatoid Arthritis’s Effect on Brain Health

Many persons with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) complain about memory, attention, and mental focus problems. They have problems remembering names and appointments, finding the correct phrases, and developing and carrying out plans. Some people believe that the lack of mental clarity, often known as brain fog, is almost as painful as arthritis.

Because researchers have mainly disregarded hazy thinking in RA, it’s difficult to estimate how widespread it is.

“We have a lot of research on cognitive issues in lupus and fibromyalgia, where brain fog is well recognized,” says Patti Katz, Ph.D., a professor of medicine at the University of California, San Francisco.

There are various explanations for why RA and other inflammatory kinds of arthritis are more likely to cause cognitive problems.

Inflammation, according to some scientists, is at the top of the list, according to a professor at the University of Calgary in Canada, Mark Swain. He and his colleagues established more than a decade ago that chronic inflammation in the body, caused by cytokines like tumor necrosis factor (TNF), can alter brain function. The brain does not alter anatomically, but neural networks begin to communicate with one another in a different way. Many disease-related symptoms, including brain fog, can be exacerbated by this.

Pain

Pain is one cause that may contribute to brain fog. Chronic pain is well documented to have an impact on one’s ability to think. Some of the brain’s pain processing centers overlap with memory and attention-related areas. When it comes to competing for limited processing resources, discomfort frequently triumphs. Pain has the potential to rewire the brain.

Depression

Depression is a typical symptom of RA. Symptoms include difficulties with planning, decision-making, memory, and mental clarity, which are similar to those experienced by those suffering from brain fog. One of the difficulties in examining cognitive disorders, according to Katz, is separating them from depression. Some researchers, including Katz, believe that brain fog is a sign of depression rather than a separate illness.

Diseases of the Cardiovascular System

As a result of systemic inflammation, people with RA are more prone to have restricted or blocked arteries in the brain. This can lead to issues with memory, logic, and thinking.

Medications for Arthritis

Methotrexate is a common RA medication, and corticosteroids are occasionally used for pain management. Both have the potential to induce cognitive issues, mood swings, and confusion. In a short study published in Toxicology and Applied Pharmacology in 2017, researchers discovered that RA patients taking methotrexate and other conventional disease-modifying antirheumatic medicines (DMARDs) had a greater risk of dementia than those taking other therapies. Corticosteroids in moderate to high amounts can cause cognitive issues in some persons, particularly women.

Lack of Physical Activity

Exercise or physical activity is one of the few things that have a proven link to brain health. Thousands of studies have demonstrated the long-term advantages of exercise, but new research reveals that it can also have an instant effect. The memory of older persons improved dramatically following a single 30-minute exercise session, according to Carson Smith, MD, and colleagues from the University of Maryland School of Public Health. A 15-minute exercise increased energy and mental clarity, according to a French study.

What Is Dementia and How Does It Affect You?

Dementia, according to the Alzheimer’s Association, is an umbrella term for brain alterations that include memory loss as well as significant changes in thinking, language, and problem-solving abilities that interfere with daily life.

Alzheimer’s disease is the most prevalent type, but vascular dementia, which results from microscopic hemorrhage and mixed dementia, or blood vessel blockage in the brain, which is a combination of sorts, is also conceivable.

Dementia, RA, and Inflammation

While both RA and dementia are caused in part by a hereditary susceptibility, they also have a common underlying cause: inflammation. According to Jonathan Greer, MD, an assistant clinical professor of biomedical sciences at Florida Atlantic University and a rheumatologist at the Arthritis & Rheumatology Associates of Palm Beach, “the continued inflammatory process for rheumatoid arthritis can impair brain inflammation due to thickening of the arteries.” “As a result, the movement of blood to the brain is decreased, which can lead to vascular dementia.”

While the Cureus study raised concerns about whether RA treatments such as methotrexate, hydroxychloroquine, and sulfasalazine, which include methotrexate, hydroxychloroquine, and sulfasalazine, may also increase the risk of dementia, Dr. Greer cautioned against making too much of this. “These medications may not be able to treat the underlying inflammation caused by rheumatoid arthritis, and as a result, the inflammation may lead to dementia,” Greer explains. Indeed, no link was identified between tumor necrosis factor (TNF) inhibitors and biologics, which are sometimes more effective at reducing inflammation.

“You should not be nervous, and you should never stop these meds without your doctor’s consent,” Greer says, no matter which RA treatment you’re given. “Work unitedly with your doctor to ascertain the best [options] for you” if you have any reservations about your treatment.

Ways to Improve Your Brain’s Health

Many examinations have been carried out on the benefits of mind-sharpening exercises like crossword puzzles in preventing dementia and Alzheimer’s disease, but these represent only half of the picture. According to research printed in July 2019 in the International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, such advantages have been discovered primarily in observational studies, which do not prove cause and effect. Mentally stimulating actions may help slow down the onset of dementia but not restrict it, according to research.

So, if reading books, learning a new language, and being social can only go so far in protecting your brain, what more can you do? It turns out that commanding a healthy lifestyle can assist far more than you might think. Donn Dexter, MD, a neurologist at Mayo Clinic Health System in Eau Claire, Wisconsin, says, “What is excellent for your brain health is equally healthy for your heart.” While age is the most important risk factor for dementia, there are other things you can control. “I usually focus on the things you can control with my patients, including physical activity and a good diet,” adds Dr. Dexter.

To improve your brain health and overall RA, try following these healthy habits:

Make Sleep a Priority

Consistently getting adequate sleep is beneficial not just to your overall health but also to your brain. “It’s common for people to undervalue the value of sleep. Dexter recommends getting seven and a half to eight hours of healthy sleep each night, ideally undisturbed. Short and protracted sleep interruptions were linked to cognitive deterioration in older persons, according to a study issued in the journal JAMA Neurology in August 2021.

Stay Active

According to Dexter, frequent physical activity helps keep blood flowing to the brain. “With 150 minutes of modest physical activity per week, the effects can be visible.” Water aerobics may be a good option if joint pain prevents you from exercising.

Eat a Balanced Diet

The appropriate nutrients can aid your body’s and brain’s optimal performance. “We recommend the Mediterranean diet in particular,” Dexter explains. That means consuming a diet rich in vegetables, fruits, legumes, seeds, whole grains, and lean protein such as fish, with extra-virgin olive oil as your primary source of fat. According to the Arthritis Foundation, this diet may be especially good because it is anti-inflammatory, which means it may help reduce inflammation throughout the body.

Limit Your Alcohol Consumption

Moderate or complete abstinence from alcohol is also beneficial to the brain. “Excess alcohol must be avoided at all costs. You are allowed to drink one glass of wine every day, but just 5 ounces of wine,” Dexter explains.

Stop Smoking

Smoking harms your lungs and causes arteries to stiffen and constrict, reducing blood flow. According to a study circulated in The Journal of Rheumatology in April 2019, smoking is linked to increased RA disease activity. According to an article issued in the Annals of Clinical and Translational Neurology in September 2018, smoking may increase the risk of dementia.

Maintaining social contacts and challenging your mind to keep it sharp is still beneficial. A healthy lifestyle, on the other hand, will be the best investment you can make for your brain, body, and RA.