BackgroundAlthough specific nutrients have been linked to rheumatoid arthritis (RA), the impact of overall nutrient intake patterns remains unclear. Here, we aimed to explore the association between the nutrient risk score (NRS) and incident RA, as well as the modifying effect of genetic susceptibility and the potential mediating role of obesity.MethodsThis prospective study included 161,725 participants from the UK Biobank.
Nutrients were selected using a LASSO-Cox model. We used Cox proportional hazards models to investigate the association between NRS and the risk of RA.
Generalized propensity score (GPS) and inverse probability weighting (IPW) methods were employed to control for potential confounding factors. Stratified analyses were conducted to assess effect heterogeneity across subgroups.
Mediation analysis was used to estimate the mediating effect of obesity.ResultsDuring a median follow-up of 13.4 years, 1,756 participants developed RA. Each unit increase in NRS was associated with a 96% higher risk of RA (HR: 1.96, 95% CI: 1.64-2.33) after adjusting for covariates.
The association remained robust in analyses using GPS and IPW weighting.
Frontiers in Immunology published a clinical update in Infectious Disease on 26 May 2026.
The item focuses on Association of a data-driven nutrient risk score with incident rheumatoid arthritis in UK Biobank adults: a prospective cohort study.
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