NEW DELHI: Top medical specialists from AIIMS and other leading institutes, speaking at the 40th Annual Conference of the Indian Rheumatology Association on Thursday, said that rising pollution levels could be silently triggering Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA)—one of the most debilitating autoimmune diseases globally. Delhi, one of the world’s top 10 most polluted cities, has emerged as a major concern, the experts added.
RA is a chronic autoimmune disorder in which the immune system attacks the body’s own tissues, especially the joints, causing persistent pain, swelling, stiffness, and disability.
“We are observing a rise in RA cases among patients living in polluted areas who have no family history or genetic predisposition to autoimmune disease. Pollutants induce inflammatory reactions, exacerbating joint damage and promoting disease progression,” said Dr Uma Kumar, Head of Rheumatology at AIIMS, New Delhi. “These toxins trigger systemic inflammation and oxidative stress, causing an overactive immune response. This is a public health emergency we can no longer ignore,” she added.
Current estimates suggest Rheumatoid Arthritis already affects around 1 percent of India’s adult population, but with pollution as a trigger, these numbers may rise dramatically. Dr Neeraj Jain from Sir Ganga Ram Hospital warned, “We used to think of RA as mainly genetic, but pollution is rewriting that narrative. The environmental burden is tipping the scales, turning healthy individuals into patients. The fact that young people with no family history are developing Rheumatoid Arthritis should set the alarm bells ringing.”
Doctors are not just witnessing more RA cases but also more severe ones. Reduced green spaces in urban areas are worsening the problem, depriving residents of protective environmental buffers, said Dr Pulin Gupta from Dr Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital.
“What we are witnessing is not just more RA cases but also more severe ones. Patients exposed to higher concentrations of PM2.5 are presenting with aggressive disease that progresses faster. Reduced green spaces in urban areas are worsening the problem, depriving residents of protective environmental buffers,” Gupta explained.
Studies have shown strong associations between exposure to PM2.5, nitrogen oxides, and ozone with increased risk of RA and worsening symptoms, especially in genetically susceptible individuals. Living near busy roads, which exposes residents to constant traffic-related pollution, has also been linked to higher RA risk.
