MedPage Today (8/14, Walsh) reports that research suggests that “women with multiple symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) have a markedly elevated risk of developing rheumatoid arthritis [RA].” Investigators found that “the presence of four or more symptoms of PTSD was associated with a 76% increased risk of incident rheumatoid arthritis compared with no history or symptoms of trauma.” Additionally, “compared with women who reported no trauma and no symptoms of PTSD, those who had trauma exposure but no symptoms of PTSD had a 25% increased risk…and those having one to three PTSD symptoms had a 31% increased risk.” The findings were published online in Arthritis Care & Research.
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— “PTSD and RA: Is There a Smoking Gun?,” Nancy Walsh, MedPage Today, August 13, 2015.