A link between rheumatoid arthritis and appendicitis has been investigated before, but newer research has not confirmed these findings.
Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disease where the immune system doesn’t work as it typically should. The immune system starts attacking the joints, causing pain, swelling, and inflammation. It usually affects your hands, knees, or ankles, but in some cases, it can also affect internal organs, like your heart or lungs.
Appendicitis is a condition that causes inflammation of the appendix, which could then burst. Doctors typically treat it with an appendectomy. This surgery removes the appendix. In certain cases, doctors may use antibiotics.
This article explores the possible relationship between these two conditions and whether there’s a link between the two documented by current research.
A 2019 long-term study investigated the occurrence of rheumatoid arthritis in a group of people who had an appendectomy and in a control group (participants who did not have an appendectomy). Researchers aimed to see whether there’s a possible association between the two conditions.
Researchers selected the participants in the control group to match the ones in the appendectomy group in terms of different personal and medical characteristics, such as sex, income, and medical history.
Study results indicated there wasn’t a higher likelihood of rheumatoid arthritis in the participants who had their appendix removed compared with the participants in the control group. Researchers concluded they could not identify an association between having rheumatoid arthritis and appendicitis.
Previously, a 2015 study discovered a link between rheumatoid arthritis and appendicitis.
Researchers in this study suggested that participants who underwent an appendectomy were more likely to have rheumatoid arthritis than participants in the control group who had not undergone the procedure.
Researchers also indicated that females who had the procedure had a higher risk of rheumatoid arthritis than males.
However, the more recent, long-term 2019 study did not replicate these findings.
Based on current findings, researchers haven’t confirmed a link between rheumatoid arthritis and appendicitis. Newer research has not found any links between the two conditions and even ruled out a possible association.
Some researchers have found a connection between appendicitis and other autoimmune diseases apart from rheumatoid arthritis.
A 2020 study run in Taiwan found that the risk of autoimmune diseases in the group of participants who had an appendectomy was higher than in the participants in the control group, even after adjusting for factors like sex, age, and other medical conditions they had.
The participants in the appendectomy group had a higher risk of the following autoimmune conditions:
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For instance, factors like diet and smoking habits have not been considered and could influence the result, so more research is necessary to fully confirm these findings.
Appendicitis is one of the most common emergency surgical interventions worldwide. Anyone can experience it.
According to 2023 research involving a group of Belgian students who had appendicitis, researchers identified some risk factors for developing acute appendicitis that included:
- male sex
- family history of acute appendicitis
- higher age
- a delay in diagnosis of more than 48 hours
- diet high in sugar and low in fiber
- probiotic and antibiotic use
- smoking
- drinking alcohol
- having lived in a rural environment
- lower education
Rheumatoid arthritis is a condition where the immune system most commonly attacks the joints in your hands or knees, causing pain and inflammation. In more severe cases, it can also affect internal organs.
Appendicitis is an infection and swelling of your appendix. Doctors usually treat it with surgery to remove the appendix. Appendicitis is a medical emergency and needs prompt treatment in the hospital.
Researchers have looked for a link between the two conditions and investigated whether having an appendectomy (surgery to remove the appendix) could potentially be a risk factor for rheumatoid arthritis. However, newer research doesn’t support that hypothesis.
Some research has found a link between other autoimmune diseases and appendicitis. Some of these autoimmune conditions include psoriasis or Addison’s disease, among others.
Based on current research, it appears that there is no link between rheumatoid arthritis and appendicitis.