Short answer
Yes. Scientific research has shown that anxiety/depression and rheumatoid arthritis often occur together. Inflammatory substances called cytokines play an important role in this, as they can influence the brain.
Longer answer
Rheumatism, also called rheumatoid arthritis, is an autoimmune disease. This means that your immune system turns against your own body. This causes inflammation in your joints that can be very painful. You can imagine that such pain can be a burden on your mental health, and can cause feelings of fear, anxiety and depression. However, there is also a direct effect of inflammatory substances on the brain.
Inflammation is an important process in your body that protects you from the harmful effects of pathogens. For instance, when bacteria enter a wound, your immune system releases inflammatory substances called cytokines into the bloodstream to fight off the bacteria. However, in the case of rheumatoid arthritis, this process can turn against your own cells, specifically the cells in your joints, which are then ‘attacked’ by your immune system. Rheumatoid arthritis is therefore called an auto-immune disease.
As if this isn’t unpleasant enough, the cytokines that are released during inflammation can also influence your brain. Research has shown that cytokines can influence brain structures that regulate to mood and anxiety. This makes these brain regions more responsive to stress, which may cause increased feelings of anxiety and depression. The reverse may also be true: having a depression (especially if it lasts for 3-5 years or more) seems to increase the chance of developing rheumatoid arthritis. How this works exactly is currently being investigated.
So, can anything be done about this link between rheumatism and depression? Luckily, there seems to be new medication available. One particular type of cytokine is called TNF-ɑ (pronounced as TNF-alpha). Recent research has shown that medication that binds to these TNF-ɑ molecules (called anti-TNF-ɑ) can neutralize these cytokines, preventing them from playing a role in the inflammation response, and from reaching the brain. Anti-TNF-ɑ can also increase levels of neurotransmitters dopamine and serotonin, which have a positive effect on your mood. Such medication may therefore have both a beneficial effect on rheumatoid arthritis, and reduce anxiety and mood disorders. Anti-TNF-ɑ medication is already used to treat rheumatism, and clinical trials have shown that it can also treat severe depression and other mood disorders.
Further Reading
Rheumatoid Arthritis: Symptoms, Diagnosis, and Treatment | Arthritis Foundation
Arthritis and Mental Health | Arthritis Foundation
