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A Canada-wide multicentre study of patients with early rheumatoid arthritis (ERA) has found an association between metabolic syndrome and rheumatoid arthritis, and that the prevalence is most common among men and postmenopausal women.

September is National Arthritis Awareness Month in Canada. With rheumatoid arthritis, the patient’s joints and organs are “attacked” by their own immune system. This is the most common type of autoimmune arthritis. Persons with the disease typically experience swollen joints, pain and stiffness, and chronic fatigue. In later stages of the disease, incessant inflammation breaks down the joint, causing permanent damage, and can impair nerves and blood vessels. It is important for patients to begin treatment as early as possible.

The Canadian Early Arthritis Cohort (CATCH) study collects data on over 3,000 patients across Canada with ERA. Patients in this cohort are defined as a person who is within one year of symptom onset.

Dr. Lillian Barra, Associate Scientist at Lawson Health Research Institute (Lawson), and Rheumatologist at St. Joseph’s Hospital London, was interested in learning about the association between ERA and other diseases and conditions that are commonly found among patients with ERA. Metabolic syndrome refers to a cluster of conditions that often occur together and increase the risk of heart disease, stroke, and type 2 diabetes. These include heart disease, high blood pressure, abnormal cholesterol, obesity and high blood sugar.

“It is interesting that we found these conditions of metabolic syndrome so early in the course of this disease. While previous researchers have demonstrated an association, it remains a question whether metabolic syndrome contributes to rheumatoid arthritis, or vice versa.” explains Dr. Barra.

“This information can help inform clinicians managing patients with rheumatoid arthritis. In the future, we hope to develop more precise guidelines around when these comorbidities should be screened for and co-managed over the course of treatment.”

Currently, if a newly diagnosed rheumatoid arthritis patient presents with severe symptoms, they are given therapies that work quickly to reduce the inflammation in addition to long-term disease modifying drugs that are the standard of care. These therapies include corticosteroids, such as prednisone, and non-steroidal anti-inflammatories (NSAIDs), such as Advil or Motrin. For the clinician, it is important to consider if the patient has any conditions of metabolic syndrome, as these fast-acting therapies are known to increase the risk of heart disease and stroke. The treatment approach may be altered if these conditions are present.

Dr. Barra plans to re-examine the CATCH data at a later time, to determine if metabolic syndrome and rheumatoid arthritis worsens or improves over time. In future research, she also hopes to discover some of the causes and mechanisms at play, to better understand why many patients with rheumatoid arthritis also have metabolic syndrome.

The COVID-19 pandemic is proving to be one of the most pressing health challenges of our time. With a rising number of cases and deaths worldwide, there’s a global urgency to finding a solution.

As the research institute of London Health Sciences Centre (LHSC) and St. Joseph’s Health Care London, Lawson Health Research Institute excels in rapid response research and is uniquely positioned to tackle this problem from within hospital walls.

Our researchers belong to a health system at the forefront of the pandemic. With close proximity to patients and access to samples, they are mobilizing to address COVID-19.

“Lawson researchers include clinicians directly involved in the treatment of COVID-19 patients, as well as laboratory-based scientists and those with other expertise related to the pandemic response,” says Dr. David Hill, Scientific Director at Lawson and Integrated Vice President at LHSC and St. Joseph’s. “They are eager to contribute a solution and are combining their knowledge to address this issue from all angles.”

Already, Lawson research teams are initiating projects ranging from pre-clinical studies to clinical trials. They are planning to explore diagnosis, prevention and treatment of the disease, as well as long-term and mental health impacts. An immediate goal is to partner with other research hospitals to improve outcomes for COVID-19 patients around the world.

There are numerous COVID-19 studies underway at Lawson and many more going through the necessary approval processes. Recognizing the importance of a rapid response to this pandemic, Lawson’s Administration team is working to fast-track approval of the studies.

Lawson also offered a special internal COVID-19 funding competition to assist our researchers in their efforts. Lawson’s COVID-19 Pandemic Response Internal Research Fund supports projects that are identified as having the potential to impact the management of this pandemic and those that enhance our understanding of the pathophysiology of COVID-19. See the results of this competition and the 14 funded projects, for a total of more than $202,000 invested. 

While there is much to learn about COVID-19 and its impact on human health and our health care system, Lawson researchers are tackling the disease head-on.

How can you support COVID-19 research and clinical care?

Research at Lawson can be supported through three hospital foundations. With an outpouring of support from our community, the foundations are collecting donations to support our hospitals through this challenging time. Learn more about donating:

• St. Joseph’s Health Care Foundation – St. Joseph’s Health Crisis Fund
• London Health Sciences Foundation - COVID-19 Response Fund 
• Children’s Health Foundation - COVID-19 Response Fund

Learn more about COVID-19 research at Lawson:

• London researchers join global initiative to study loss of smell in COVID-19 patients
• Study to examine inflammatory response in patients with COVID-19
• Local COVID-19 research supported by St. Joseph's Health Crisis Fund