{"id":48191,"date":"2026-05-26T06:00:47","date_gmt":"2026-05-26T04:00:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/semmelweis.hu\/english\/?p=48191"},"modified":"2026-05-22T16:37:38","modified_gmt":"2026-05-22T14:37:38","slug":"depression-may-not-only-be-a-consequence-but-also-a-cause-of-rheumatoid-arthritis","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/semmelweis.hu\/english\/2026\/05\/depression-may-not-only-be-a-consequence-but-also-a-cause-of-rheumatoid-arthritis\/","title":{"rendered":"Depression may not only be a consequence, but also a cause of rheumatoid arthritis"},"content":{"rendered":"

According to researchers at Semmelweis University, not only inflammation, but also sleep disorders, depression, obesity, and smoking may sustain persistent rheumatic symptoms. In their publications in the journals Nature Reviews Rheumatology<\/em> and The Lancet Rheumatology<\/em>, they also proposed a model that can help identify and treat the true causes of symptoms in time.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Researchers at Semmelweis University analyzed how depression, smoking, obesity, sleep disorders, and other health problems are linked to difficult-to-treat rheumatoid arthritis.<\/p>\n

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Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic autoimmune disease in which the immune system attacks the joints, causing pain, swelling, and stiffness. It affects tens of thousands of people in Hungary only. Most patients respond well to treatment, but 6\u201328 percent belong to the so-called \u201cdifficult-to-treat\u201d group because they do not achieve lasting remission despite therapy.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

According to the publications in Nature Reviews Rheumatology<\/em> and The Lancet Rheumatology<\/em>, these factors may not only coexist with the disease but may also help maintain it.<\/p>\n

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For example, pain and depression may reduce physical activity, increase body weight, worsen sleep and mood \u2013 all of which can feed back into pain and everyday functioning, creating a difficult-to-break \u201cvicious cycle.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\"\"The researchers not only identified these patterns but also developed a new model that could improve the treatment of such difficult-to-treat patients. Under the currently used \u201ctreat-to-target\u201d therapeutic approach, patients\u2019 conditions are regularly monitored using measurable indicators, and if treatment does not sufficiently reduce inflammation, therapy is adjusted \u2013 for example by increasing the medication dose or switching to another drug. However, according to the researchers, this approach can function not only as a therapy but also as a kind of \u201cearly warning system\u201d: it can quickly indicate when symptoms may not be caused solely \u2013 or at all \u2013 by inflammation.<\/p>\n

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