Kaitlyn D’Onofrio

DocwireNews

In a new study, researchers evaluated the relationship between <a href="https://proddocwire.wpengine.com/docwire-pick/rheumatology-picks/mri-beneficial-disease-activity-ra/">rheumatoid arthritis</a> (RA) risk and <a href="https://proddocwire.wpengine.com/docwire-pick/smoking-incident-rheumatoid-arthritis/">smoking</a> in a cohort of women. They discovered that <a href="https://proddocwire.wpengine.com/docwire-pick/home-page-picks/quitting-smoking-for-the-new-year-cutting-back-alcohol-may-help/">quitting smoking</a> may significantly lower the odds of developing seropositive <a href="https://proddocwire.wpengine.com/docwire-pick/rheumatology-picks/infection-risk-tocilizumab-tnfi/">RA</a>.&ldquo;Our study is one of the first to show that a behavior change of prolonged smoking cessation may actually delay or even prevent the onset of seropositive RA, suggesting lifestyle changes may modify risk for development of a systemic rheumatic disease,&rdquo; said senior author Dr. Jeffrey Sparks, of Brigham and Women&rsquo;s Hospital, in a <a href="https://newsroom.wiley.com/press-release/arthritis-care-research/can-smoking-cessation-reduce-rheumatoid-arthritis-risk">press release</a>.The study authors used data from the Nurses&rsquo; Health Study (NHS, 1976&ndash;2014) and the NHSII (1989&ndash;2015). Biennial questionnaires provided smoking exposures and covariates, and <a href="https://proddocwire.wpengine.com/docwire-pick/rheumatology-picks/rheumatoid-arthritis-autoantibody-signify/">RA</a> was self-reported and confirmed via medical records.https://twitter.com/WileyNews/status/1098530051409219584<h2>RA and Smoking: Seropositive Versus Seronegative</h2>Of 230,732 total <a href="https://proddocwire.wpengine.com/docwire-pick/rheumatology-picks/assisted-reproduction-treatment-ra/">women</a>, 1,528 had incident RA, of whom most (63.4%) were seropositive. Current smokers, compared to never smokers, had increased odds of all RA (multivariable HR 1.47, 95%CI 1.27&#8208;1.72) and seropositive RA (HR 1.67, 95%CI 1.38&#8208;2.01), but there was no significant risk for seronegative RA (HR 1.20, 95%CI 0.93&#8208;1.55). A trend was also observed for increasing smoking pack-years and increased risk for all RA (p&lt;0.0001) and seropositive RA (p&lt;0.0001). Women who quit smoking earlier reduced their risk for all RA (p=0.009) and seropositive RA (p=0.002). Women who quit smoking at least three decades previously had a lower hazard ratio (HR) for seropositive RA compared to women who quit within the last five years (HR 0.63, 95%CI 0.44&#8208;0.90), but even 30 years later, researchers still observed an increased risk for RA (all RA: HR 1.25, 95%CI 1.02&#8208;1.53; seropositive RA: HR 1.30, 95%CI 1.01&#8208;1.68; reference: never smoking).<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Dr. Brittany Bettendorf and colleagues <a href="https://twitter.com/UWMadison?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@UWMadison</a> found significant benefit in a new smoking cessation protocol for people with <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/rheumatoidarthritis?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#rheumatoidarthritis</a>. Their results were published in a recent issue of Arthritis Care &amp; Research. <a href="https://t.co/5S2NJjLN82">https://t.co/5S2NJjLN82</a> <a href="https://t.co/vBWmLmGN5M">pic.twitter.com/vBWmLmGN5M</a>
&mdash; Internal Medicine at Iowa (@IntMedatIowa) <a href="https://twitter.com/IntMedatIowa/status/1097616831169417216?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 18, 2019</a>
</blockquote><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script><h2>What Prevents Patients from Quitting?</h2>A separate study sought to determine what barriers exist for <a href="https://proddocwire.wpengine.com/general/e-cigarettes-can-they-help-you-quit-smoking-on-their-own/">quitting smoking</a> among rheumatic disease patients.&ldquo;Although smoking is a risk factor for cardiovascular and rheumatic disease severity, only 10% of rheumatology visits document cessation counseling,&rdquo; the study authors wrote.For this study, researchers included 19 smokers, of whom 12 had RA and seven had <a href="https://proddocwire.wpengine.com/docwire-pick/rheumatology-picks/systemic-lupus-erythematosus-fracture-risk/">systemic lupus erythematosus</a> (SLE). Patients were stratified to one of three semi-structured focus groups. The study authors found that roadblocks for cessation were multi-faceted and included psychological, health, and social and economic factors, as well as healthcare messaging and resources. Patients identified smoking as &ldquo;a crutch&rdquo; while dealing with their rheumatic disease. They also cited little cessation counseling in the <a href="https://proddocwire.wpengine.com/docwire-pick/rheumatology-picks/rheumatologists-happiest-physicians/">rheumatology</a> setting. There was also a lack of awareness that smoking adversely impacts rheumatic disease and certain treatments.&ldquo;Two key outcomes of improving cessation care for patients with RA and <a href="https://proddocwire.wpengine.com/docwire-pick/rheumatology-picks/omalizumab-sle-patients/">SLE</a> were knowing why and how to quit,&rdquo; the researchers observed. Emphasizing rheumatologic health benefits and cessation resources are essential when designing and evaluating rheumatology smoking cessation interventions.&rdquo;Both studies were published in Arthritis Care &amp; Research.Source: Arthritis Care &amp; Research: <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/acr.23837">Impact and timing of smoking cessation on reducing risk for rheumatoid arthritis among women in the Nurses&rsquo; Health Studies</a>; <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/acr.23858">Patient Perspectives on Smoking Cessation and Interventions in Rheumatology Clinics</a>;

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Quitting Smoking May Reduce RA Risk

Rheumatoid Arthritis

In a new study, researchers evaluated the relationship between rheumatoid arthritis (RA) risk and smoking in a cohort of women. They discovered that quitting smoking may ...

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