Smoking and Rheumatoid Arthritis

Rheumatoid Arthritis

Rheumatoid arthritis is more than a disease of the joints. It is a chronic condition affecting the whole body. In this article I'm going to consider rheumatoid arthritis and especially its possible link and association with smoking. For the benefit of those not familiar with the condition I'll add some introductory material, so bear with me.

The Science Bit

Well, as the name suggests, rheumatoid arthritis is an arthritic condition. The other common form of arthritis is termed osteoarthritis. Osteoarthritis is due to wear and tear on the joints and is often a disease of old age. Rheumatoid arthritis differs in many respects from osteoarthritis. First off, it can occur at any age. Its onset is often sudden and symptoms such as joint pain are common. The disorder causes joint inflammation and is progressive. If unchecked it damages and destroys joints. It is relatively common and affects about 1% of the population. The cause is really not known, but there seems to be a genetic component which interacts with environmental factors. Rheumatoid arthritis is an auto-immune disease. In auto-immune immune disorders, the immune system goes 'haywire' and starts attacking normal healthy tissue. In addition to joint damage this condition is often associated with fatigue and a general feeling of 'being unwell'

Smoking and Rheumatoid Arthritis

So what has all this to do with smoking? A Swedish study has found that smoking is an important risk factor in developing the disease. Other factors are important, of course. For instance, women are more prone to the disorder than men; it is more common in the 40 to 60 age group and there is often a family history. Workers at the Karolinska institute in Stockholm looked to see if there was a link between rheumatoid arthritis and smoking. Their research found that heavy smokers, who smoked for at least 20 years, were two and a half times more likely to contain an antibody closely associated with the condition and especially with a severe form of the disease. The researchers concluded that smoking may account for 35% of cases where the antibody is present and 20% of cases overall. It is thought that smoking, particularly heavy smoking, acts as a trigger for the disease in those who already have a genetic predisposition. The risk remains high even in those who have quit smoking. Smoking remains the only known modifiable risk factor for developing rheumatoid arthritis and thus provides a further incentive to quit smoking, or better still, to never start.

The Personal Touch

I was inspired to write this article because my wife is affected with a severe form of rheumatoid arthritis. Also, like me she is an ex-smoker. It is possible that smoking may have in some way contributed to the onset of her condition, although she was never a heavy smoker. We will never really know. Nevertheless, the best thing my wife did, for her overall health, was to quit.