Oct 10, 2025
- 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