Immune Aging Drives Rheumatoid Arthritis

• Rheumatoid arthritis is not just a joint disease but a disorder of accelerated immune aging, with your immune system acting decades older than your actual age
• People with early joint pain already show reduced production of fresh immune cells and higher levels of inflammation, years before arthritis is formally diagnosed
• Research shows rheumatoid arthritis patients in their 40s and 50s have immune systems resembling much older adults, with DNA damage and exhausted immune cells
• Old, worn-out immune cells called senescent cells build up in rheumatoid arthritis, driving joint damage and weakening your body’s ability to fight infections
• Practical steps like eating spermidine-rich foods, removing senescent cells, lowering inflammation, improving sleep and stress control, and supporting mitochondrial energy help keep your immune system younger and more resilient