Heavy smokers at increased risk of rheumatoid arthritisFebruary 10, 2001Heavy smokers are at increased risk of developing the painful joint disease rheumatoid arthritis, finds a study in the Annals of Rheumatic Diseases. The research also shows that a family history of the disease, a known risk factor for rheumatoid arthritis, was less common among heavy smokers. The study team analysed the smoking habits of 239 patients with rheumatoid arthritis and 239 healthy people. The patients were also asked if a first or second degree relative had the disease. The results showed that the patients were significantly more likely to be current smokers than healthy people. Those who had smoked 20 cigarettes a day for between 40 and 50 years were over 13 times as likely to have the disease. Over half the patients with rheumatoid arthritis had no family history of the disease, a known risk factor for developing it. Significantly more of these patients were heavy and current smokers at the time of diagnosis. Environmental and genetic factors are thought to have a role in the development of rheumatoid arthritis, and cigarette smoking could be one environmental factor, say the authors. Evidence suggests that there is a link between smoking and the production of rheumatoid factor, a marker for the disease. And it would also explain the increased death rates among sufferers, they say.
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Related Smoking News Articles Obese people with asthma have nearly 5 times greater risk of hospitalization for asthma Obese people who have asthma are nearly five times more likely to be hospitalized for the condition than non-obese people with asthma, according to a Kaiser Permanente study published in the September issue of the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology. K-State professor's research suggests that cigarettes' power may not be in nicotine itself There may be a very good reason why coffee and cigarettes often seem to go hand in hand. Early onset gene for inflammatory bowel diseases identified A study of Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis in children has identified a gene that influences whether children get these diseases early in life, and points to a potential new target for treatment. Study shows heavy snoring is an independent risk factor for carotid atherosclerosis A study in the Sept. 1 issue of the journal Sleep shows that objectively measured heavy snoring is an independent risk factor for early carotid atherosclerosis, which may progress to be associated with stroke. Will screening for cardiovascular problems be effective? Last week the government in England closed its consultation on the effectiveness of vascular checks for high-risk individuals aged 40-74, to be rolled out in 2009-10, but will this strategy be worthwhile? Experts debate the issue on bmj.com today. Smoking during pregnancy a 'double-edged sword' in SIDS Premature infants whose mothers smoked during pregnancy may be at even higher risk for sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) than preemies whose mothers did not smoke, according to new research out of the University of Calgary. Heavy breathing -- an obscure link in asthma and obesity There is a strong link between obesity and asthma and as the prevalence of both conditions has been increasing steadily, epidemiologists have speculated that there is an underlying condition that connects the two. Flu shot does not reduce risk of death The widely-held perception that the influenza vaccination reduces overall mortality risk in the elderly does not withstand careful scrutiny, according to researchers in Alberta. Health risk behaviors associated with lower prostate specific antigen awareness According to a study conducted at Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health, health risk behaviors such as smoking and obesity are associated with lower awareness of the Prostate Specific Antigen (PSA), which could lead to a lower likelihood of undergoing actual prostate cancer screening. Newly-defined factors may prevent postpartum smoking relapse Although many women quit smoking during pregnancy to protect their unborn children from the effects of cigarettes, half of them resume the habit within a few months of giving birth. More Smoking News Articles |
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