Published on : 10 Oct 2025, 4:05 am

New Delhi : Poor air quality may not just be choking your lungs, it can also attack joints, leading to severe rheumatoid arthritis, experts said here on Thursday. Rheumatoid arthritis (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.

Traditionally linked to genetics and immune system dysfunction, RA is now increasingly being associated with environmental triggers like air pollution.

Recent studies in Europe, China, and now India suggest that exposure to PM2.5 -- the dangerous fine particulate matter that penetrates deep into the lungs -- may be linked not only to heart and lung diseases but also to autoimmune diso

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