Living with RA-ILD: Understanding the connection between rheumatoid arthritis and interstitial lung disease

Interstitial lung disease (ILD) and rheumatoid arthritis (RA) are both conditions that can have a significant impact on people’s daily lives – and importantly can co-occur as rheumatoid arthritis-associated ILD (RA-ILD). Learn more about this disease and the impact it can have on those living with the condition and their loved ones.

Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disease that is well known for affecting the joints, but can also impact multiple parts of the body, such as the lungs.

Interstitial lung disease (ILD) is the most common type of lung condition associated with rheumatoid arthritis (RA)^1,2,3 with around 10 – 30% of people living with RA developing ILD^1,4,5,6,7

RA-ILD is a fibrotic lung condition, where scar tissue forms and builds up in the lungs, which is also known as pulmonary fibrosis^1,8. As a result, the lung tissue becomes stiff, and it can be harder for oxygen to pass from the lungs to the bloodstream. This results in breathlessness and difficulty breathing^1,8.

A pulmonary fibrosis story: Living with RA-ILD

Liz has been diagnosed with pulmonary fibrosis along with rheumatoid arthritis in 2011, years after she had had the first symptoms. Hear from Liz about her experience of living with RA-ILD, from her journey to diagnosis, her support systems and adapting her lifestyle to manage different diseases:

______________________

¹Shaw M, Collins BF, Ho LA, et al. Eur Respir Rev. 2015;24(135):1–16.
²Iqbal K, Kelly C. Ther Adv Musculoskelet Dis. 2015;7(6):247–267.
³Raimundo K, Solomon JJ, Olson AL, et al. J Rheumatol. 2019;46(4):360–369.
⁴Olson AL, Swigris JJ, Sprunger DB, et al. Rheumatoid arthritis interstitial lung disease–associated mortality. Am J Respir Crit Care Med. 2011;183:372–378.
⁵Geerts S, Wuyts W, de Langhe E, et al. Connective tissue disease associated interstital pneumonia: a challenge for both rheumatologists and pulmonologists. Sarcoidosis Vasc Dif. 2017;34:326–335
⁶Kelly CA, Saravanan V, Nisar M, et al. Rheumatoid arthritis-related interstitial lung disease: associations, prognostic factors and physiological and radiological characteristics – a large multicentre UK study. Rheumatology (Oxford). 2014;53(9): 1676–1682.
⁷Esposito AJ, Chu SG, Madan R, et al. Clin Chest Med. 2019;40(3):545–560.
⁸British Lung Foundation. What is pulmonary fibrosis? Available at: https://www.blf.org.uk/support-for-you/pulmonary-fibrosis/what-is-pulmonary-fibrosis. [Accessed May 2023].