In fact, it’s been reported that gum disease symptoms are associated with increasing arthritis activity with evidence finding patients with more bleeding and swelling having higher levels of rheumatoid arthritis disease activity?
Links between periodontal disease, changes in the oral and intestinal microbiome and RA have been known, but what exactly links them all has yet to be discovered.
Researchers also unveiled they were more likely than other people to have periodontal disease, or gum disease.
The study which was published in Arthritis & Rheumatology analysed the microbial populations and periodontal conditions of people with ERA, those at risk of RA and a control group of people without these conditions for comparison.
Commenting on the study Professor Alan Silman, then Medical Director of Arthritis Research UK, said: “We have known for some time people with RA have an increased risk of periodontal disease, it could be that a person’s genetic make-up puts them at risk of developing both conditions