Luckily, there are plenty of steps you can take to promote healthy bones and joints through the years. Start with these strategies.
1. Maintain a Healthy Weight
Talk to your doctor about safe strategies to lose weight and protect your health as you age.
2. Ask Your Doctor About Your Bone Health
Psoriatic arthritis primarily affects your joints, and your risk of osteoporosis increases as you age, so you need to start thinking about your bone health, too. Although it’s unclear if psoriatic arthritis itself increases your risk of osteoporosis, “People with psoriatic arthritis should have bone density screenings [the same as] the general population,” says Yeohan Song, MD, a rheumatologist at Northside Hospital in Duluth, Georgia.
For example, if you take steroid medication, ask your doctor when you may need a bone density test. “There is a known increased risk of osteoporosis and fractures even with low steroid doses,” Dr. Song says.
You should also get regular blood tests to monitor your calcium and vitamin D levels, says Song. These essential nutrients help promote bone health as you age. If your levels are low, your doctor may recommend eating more foods that are rich in vitamin D and calcium or taking a dietary supplement.
3. Stay Active, but Exercise Carefully
4. Prioritize Your Mental Health
Psoriatic arthritis is also linked to fatigue, psychological distress, and a lower quality of life, the study authors say. In addition, depression increases the perception of pain, making the severity of symptoms feel worse.
To help combat these effects, try deep breathing or yoga to help keep stress at bay. Many people find themselves spending more time alone as they age, but staying socially connected is key to mental health. Also ask your doctor for a referral to a mental health professional who works with people living with chronic disease.
5. Be Mindful of Hormonal Changes
Going through menopause can have a direct impact on psoriatic arthritis.
6. Check in Regularly With Your Doctor
When it comes to treating psoriatic arthritis, what works for you today may not work the same in the future. “With the increasing number of treatments available and the risk of permanent damage if joint inflammation from psoriatic arthritis is not controlled, it’s important for patients to schedule regular appointments with their rheumatologist for long-term management,” Song says.
How frequently checkups should be scheduled varies from person to person. It depends on the severity of your psoriatic arthritis, as well as what medications you’re on and when you started taking them.
It can take a long time to get a rheumatology appointment, so have the next appointment scheduled — and on your calendar — before you leave your doctor’s office.
The Takeaway
- Psoriatic arthritis can progress over time, and the risk of bone issues such as osteoporosis can increase with age.
- To protect your joints and bones as you age, it’s important to maintain a healthy weight, care for your mental health, exercise properly, and be aware of how hormonal changes may impact your psoriatic arthritis.
- Check in regularly with your rheumatologist to stay on top of your treatment.