The Relationship Between Rheumatoid Arthritis Lung Involvement and Sarcopenia

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Aim: This study was to investigate the effect of Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) lung involvement on sarcopenia. Materials and Methods: A retrospective analysis was conducted on RA patients diagnosed between January 2020 and January 2024. Patients with non-contrast thoracic CT scans available in the hospital database were included. A control group comprising individuals without inflammatory diseases was also selected. Muscle area (MA) and muscle-to-aorta density ratio (M/A density) were compared between the RA and control groups, as well as between RA patients with and without pulmonary involvement. Results: A total of 187 individuals (156 women, 31 men) were included in the study, with 84 patients in the RA group and 103 in the control group. The M/A density was significantly lower in the RA group (p<0.001). Among RA patients, 30 (36%) had pulmonary involvement. The M/A density was significantly lower in RA patients with lung involvement compared to those without (p<0.05), while muscle area showed no significant difference (p=0.683). Conclusion: In this study, different from the literature, we found that RA lung involvement also increases muscle adiposity