Typical rheumatic issues related to diabetes include “prayer hands,” or the inability to lay one’s hands flat against one another due to flexor tenosynovitis; “trigger finger,” a proliferation of fibrous tissues in the tendon seen in flexor tenosynovitis; De Quervain’s tenosynovitis, similar to trigger finger but in the thumb; and Dupuytren’s contracture, a thickening of flexor tendons along the palm, which is seen in about 20% of diabetic patients, Dr. Markenson said.
Some evidence indicates that bringing down inflammation with anti-tumor necrosis factor and other agents lowers the incidence of diabetes in rheumatoid arthritis patients.1,2
“Maybe there is something to this, that inflammation is playing a role in diabetes, as well as RA,” Dr. Markenson said, “because there’s less diabetes seen in RA patients whose disease is under control.”
Thomas R. Collins is a freelance writer living in South Florida.
References
- Bili A, Sartorius JA, Kirchner HL, et al. Hydroxychloroquine use and decreased risk of diabetes in rheumatoid arthritis patients. J Clin Rheumatol. 2011 Apr;17(3):115–120.
- Solomon DH, Massarotti E, Garg R, et al. Association between disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs and diabetes risk in patients with rheumatoid arthritis and psoriasis. JAMA. 2011 Jun 22;305(24):2525–2531.
