Arthritis and smoking

Quitting smoking dramatically reduces the risk of getting rheumatoid arthritis

Svetlana Maslova, Hi-tech+

These are the results of a 43-year study that covered 230 thousand smokers and control group participants. In general, quitting smoking reduces the risk of arthritis by 37%.

American scientists have been studying data on the health of nurses since 1976: women were examined every two years, and information about their health status and smoking status was recorded in questionnaires. Long-term observation has shown that quitting smoking prevents even a severe seropositive form of rheumatoid arthritis, which can lead to serious joint damage and disability.

The team analyzed the data of 230 thousand women and confirmed that the elimination of a bad habit can delay or prevent the disease. So, the participants who quit smoking had a reduced risk about five years after giving up cigarettes. And the longer they did not return to smoking, the greater the effect was.

The risk decreased by 37% when women quit smoking forever, the authors emphasize.

These data were recorded 30 years after their quitting smoking. "The maximum effect is achieved precisely with complete cessation, but a significant benefit is also evident for patients with the development of rheumatoid arthritis," says study author Jeffrey Sparks.

It is known that smoking remains an important risk factor for the development of not only rheumatoid arthritis, but also other inflammatory diseases. Scientists cannot yet name specific mechanisms that provoke the disease, however, they believe that smoking leads to the formation of autoantibodies and provokes inflammation in tissues.

The team will test this hypothesis in future studies, which will also involve active male smokers. The authors plan to find out whether it is possible to prevent the formation of autoantibodies to reduce the symptoms of the disease.

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