Experts including S. Louis Bridges, Jr., MD, PhD, physician-in-chief and chair of the Department of Medicine at HSS shares things patients should know when living with rheumatic disease.

Dr. Bridges explained that one of the most common misconceptions with rheumatic diseases is that patients with inflammatory arthritis, such as rheumatoid arthritis, should not exercise. But that could not be farther from the truth. “While it is true that patients should not perform exercises that may worsen their pain, there are many safe exercises for such patients, including water aerobics and low impact activities such as walking,” he said.

Additionally, appropriate lifestyle changes can make a huge difference for patients with rheumatic diseases. These include avoiding smoking, maintaining a healthy weight and eating a healthy diet.

“Evidence suggests that the Mediterranean diet, which has been shown to reduce cardiovascular disease, may have beneficial effects on rheumatic diseases,” Dr. Bridges said. For psoriatic arthritis specifically, it has been shown to decrease chronic inflammation that contributes to heart disease, type 2 diabetes, cancer and other conditions.

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