Name: Immune Aging Drives Rheumatoid Arthritis
Description: Dr. Joseph Mercola - Take Control of Your Health · Episode · 2025

Rheumatoid arthritis is not just a joint disease but a disorder of accelerated immune aging, with your immune system acting decades older than your actual age
People with early joint pain already show reduced production of fresh immune cells and higher levels of inflammation, years before arthritis is formally diagnosed
Research shows rheumatoid arthritis patients in their 40s and 50s have immune systems resembling much older adults, with DNA damage and exhausted immune cells
Old, worn-out immune cells called senescent cells build up in rheumatoid arthritis, driving joint damage and weakening your body’s ability to fight infections
Practical steps like eating spermidine-rich foods, removing senescent cells, lowering inflammation, improving sleep and stress control, and supporting mitochondrial energy help keep your immune system younger and more resilient