Could The Air You Breathe Be Triggering Painful Arthritis Flares?

WEDNESDAY, Aug. 5, 2026 (HealthDay News) — Could the air you breathe be making your arthritis worse?

A published today in the Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases suggests exposure to fine particle air pollution may trigger flare-ups.

People with rheumatoid arthritis exposed to higher levels of fine particle air pollution — known as PM2.5 — had more active disease and a greater risk of painful flare-ups.

A team led by Sung Cheol Jung of the Seoul National University College of Medicine in South Korea followed more than 1,000 patients over four years, comparing air pollution levels with disease activity recorded during more than 12,000 outpatient visits.