ISTOCK.COM/CHRISATRheumatoid
Arthritis’s Links to
Other ConditionsRheumatoid arthritis
(RA) causes chronic
inflammation in the
joints but sometimes
also in other parts of
the body, including the
blood vessels. Because
of this, the likelihood of
heart attack and stroke
are roughly doubled
for sufferers, a fact that
was recently confirmed
by a Mayo Clinic study.
The RA patients also
ran a higher risk of
blood clots both before
and after their diagno-
ses, suggesting that
the inflammation may
actually start before
the arthritis becomes
apparent. Symptoms of
a clot can include pain,
redness and warmth in
a leg, an arm or the
groin. If it travels to your
lungs, you could notice
sudden, unexplained
shortness of breath.
Blood clots are medical
emergencies, and peo-
ple with RA should
keep an extra-vigilant
eye out for them.Fish Oil Doesn’t
Prevent Depression
or AnxietyA meta-analysis com-
missioned by the World
Health Organization
concluded that, despite
popular belief and
anecdotal reports, fish
oil and other omega-3
supplements probably
don’t stave off depres-
sion or anxiety. It
looked at only the
highest-quality evi-
dence available: ran-
domized controlled
trials that lasted at least
six months. Your body
needs small amounts
of omega-3 fats, and
there’s no doubt that
oily fish, such as
salmon, herring or sar-
dines, are good for your
general health, as are
other omega-3-rich
foods such as nuts and
seeds. But given that
the fish-oil industry
fishes heavily for spe-
cies that are key to
ocean food webs, you
might want to think
twice about taking
such supplements for
unproven benefits.Wellness and
the ArtsArtistic activities are
making inroads as
treatments for medical
conditions—including
tango for Parkinson’s
and choral singing for
chronic obstructive
pulmonary disease. In a
comprehensive review,
the World Health
Organ ization’s regional
office for Europe found
that the arts can not
only reduce risks and
improve conditions,
they help with complex
problems that conven-
tional health care alone
struggles to address,
such as obesity and
mental illness. That’s
because participating
in the arts promotes
wellness on several
fronts at once, includ-
ing social support, cog-
nitive stimulation and
stress reduction.reader’s digest
22 april 2020