Rheumatoid arthritis
Also called: RA
What it means
Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disease that causes chronic joint inflammation, and that same inflammation speeds up bone breakdown throughout the body.
If you have RA, your bones may be losing density faster than normal, so tracking your fracture risk and bone health matters more.
Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune condition where the immune system causes ongoing inflammation, usually in the joints. That inflammation does not stay contained — it sends out signaling molecules like TNF-alpha, IL-1 and IL-6 that ramp up RANKL activity, which in turn switches on osteoclasts, the cells that break down bone. Over time this means people with RA tend to lose bone faster than they otherwise would.
Because of this, rheumatoid arthritis is counted as a known risk factor for fracture, not just a joint problem. It's actually one of the specific factors built into FRAX, the tool used alongside a bone density scan to estimate a person's 10-year probability of a major fracture. That's a sign of how seriously it's taken in bone health assessments — having RA can push your fracture risk higher even if your bone density number looks only moderately low.
RA often overlaps with other things that stress bone, like reduced activity during flare-ups or the use of steroid medications, which can compound the effect. If you have rheumatoid arthritis, it's worth making sure your bone health is part of the conversation with whoever manages your care, including whether a FRAX estimate or bone density scan makes sense for you.
How sure is this?
Graded Established Science: Supported by broad scientific consensus and decades of research. Read each study with its grade in mind. One study is a piece of the picture, not the whole of it.
Where the Academy teaches it
This page is the short version. The lessons teach it in full, with the context around it and a quiz to lock it in.
Questions people ask about this
Bone risk usually isn't one single thing — it's a mix of up to six categories: not enough mechanical loading, poor nutrition, hormonal shifts, diseases that directly affect bone cells, certain medications, and lifestyle habits like smoking, alcohol, poor sleep or stress. Most people have threats stacked in at least two of these areas at once, which is why figuring out your own combination matters more than focusing on just one cause.
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Education only, not medical advice. Decisions about tests, medications and treatment belong with your own doctor. OsteoStrong does not diagnose, treat or cure any disease.
