Clin Osteol 2025; 30(2): 108-113

Muscle mass of patients with rheumatoid arthritis and the effect of treatmentReview articles

Stela Kašperová1, Lenka Tarabčáková2, Barbora Kašperová3, Mária Páterková1, Emőke Šteňová1
1 I. interná klinika Lekárskej fakulty Univerzity Komenského v Bratislave a Univerzitnej nemocnice v Bratislave
2 Interná klinika SZU, Univerzitná nemocnica - Nemocnica sv. Michala, a. s., Bratislava
3 Klinika onkohematológie LF UK a NOÚ, Bratislava

Sarcopenia is a progressive disease characterized by the loss of skeletal muscle mass, both in volume and function. Although it was originally considered a consequence of physiological ageing, it is now known to occur in connection with chronic diseases, particularly inflammatory ones. Rheumatoid arthritis is a prototype of a systemic autoimmune disease, in which there is not only joint damage but also extra-articular manifestations, including changes in body composition. Until recently, the loss of muscle mass and strength in these patients was attributed mainly to musculoskeletal dysfunction due to pain, disability, and chronic corticosteroid use. However, current knowledge shows that rheumatoid arthritis induces a specific form of sarcopenia, so-called rheumatoid sarcopenia characterized by a disorder of muscle metabolism caused by systemic inflammation. The aim of this article is to address the issue of striated muscle changes in patients with rheumatoid arthritis.

Keywords: muscle mass, sarcopenia, rheumatoid arthritis, densitometry.

Published: June 1, 2025  Show citation

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Kašperová S, Tarabčáková L, Kašperová B, Páterková M, Šteňová E. Muscle mass of patients with rheumatoid arthritis and the effect of treatment. Clinical Osteology. 2025;30(2):108-113.
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