Arthritis and Diabetes Link
December 23, 2008 by Cherie Burbach
Filed under Diseases & Conditions
If you have diabetes, you may develop problems with arthritis at some point. New research suggests a connection between the two diseases.
There are a couple reasons for this. As this article mentions, one is that if you are overweight you are more likely to get both diabetes and arthritis.
But there’s an even more interesting link. Type 2 diabetes is “thought to be related to the most common form of arthritis, osteoarthritis, by chronic inflammation.” There’s also a link with Type 1 diabetes which can cause “high uric acid levels, which can cause gout, another type of arthritis.”
Trying to treat arthritis can be tricky in diabetics because the drugs can cause damage to the kidneys.
What to do about this research? Talk with your doctor to make sure the treatment you get for arthritis does not interfere with your diabetes control. Also, keep your weight down and stay active. Moderate exercise can do wonders for arthritis.
