INTERACTING ENVIRONMENTAL, METABOLIC, AND VASCULAR FACTORS SHAPING DISEASE ACTIVITY IN POST-COVID INFLAMMATORY AND DEGENERATIVE JOINT CONDITIONS

Abstract

Rheumatic disorders comprise a multifaceted group of diseases in which immune imbalance, genetic susceptibility, endothelial injury, and environmental influences jointly determine clinical course and structural progression. The post-COVID period has intensified these interactions by promoting sustained systemic inflammation, vascular dysfunction, and metabolic stress. As a result, patients with ankylosing spondylitis, rheumatoid arthritis, reactive arthritis, osteoarthritis, allergic vasculitis, systemic sclerosis, and those with concomitant ischemic heart disease frequently demonstrate increased disease activity and poorer outcomes following COVID-19.