Taking opioids and anti-depressants may augment the risk of developing broken bone in the people who are associated with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) disease, unveils a new study. Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic inflammatory disorder that causes stiffness, pain and swelling in the functions and motions of multiple joints of the human body. The Chronic inflammation in most of the arthritis patients leads to many other diseases like mental, gastrointestinal disorders, and cardiovascular. The researchers noticed that people take various medications in such cases that is dangerous to their health as it increases the risk of osteoporotic fractures or a syndrome caused due to decreased bone density.
A researcher at the University of Nebraska Medical Centre, Gulsen Ozen told that even at younger ages, RA (rheumatoid arthritis) is linked to a two-fold enlarged risk of bone fractures and osteoporosis that takes place due to persistent inflammation and glucocorticoid use. The osteoporotic fractures extensively contribute to health-related costs, disability, and mortality with significantly higher complication in RA patients.
The scientists calculated around 11000 RA patients, aged 40 or above with no specific signs of osteoporotic fractures preceding the tests. After 5.7 years, the study discovered 863 affected patients with osteoporotic fractures. All the patients who got fractures were older and already had bone fracture risk and were prone to higher disease risk at the baseline than other patients who were free from fracture issues. The outcome revealed at the ACR/ARHP annual meeting 2017 held in San Diego talked about the osteoporotic fracture risk saying that it increased within a month when the AR patients were given opioids. This particularly associated medication directed to falls in some cases.
The researcher Gulsen Ozen stated that after knowing the risks related to the consumption of opioids and anti-depressants can guide physicians and rheumatologists in selecting the perfect management strategies in patients especially the ones who have a high risk of fracture or fall.
