Smoking Leads to Rheumatoid Arthritis

(Ivanhoe Newswire) -- Genes play a big role in who we are and the kinds of diseases we are destined to get. But a new study shows genetic risk factors aren't necessary for one group of women who develop a painful joint disease. Smokers can develop rheumatoid arthritis without the most common gene that predisposes people to the disease.

Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disorder that worsens over time, making it difficult for sufferers to get around. It causes chronic inflammation of the joints, which leads to destruction of the bones around those joints. It also causes everything from fatigue, weakness and stiffness, to flu-like symptoms, loss of appetite and depression. People with the HLA-DRB1 SE genetic marker are more likely to develop the condition.

Researchers at the University of California, San Francisco, found the link between smoking and the disease after studying women taking part in a large health study in Iowa. Among women without the HLA-DRB1 SE marker, smoking nearly doubled the odds of having rheumatoid arthritis. Women with the gene were had the same risk whether or not they smoked.

This article was reported by Ivanhoe.com, who offers Medical Alerts by e-mail every day of the week. To subscribe, go to: http://www.ivanhoe.com/newsalert/.

SOURCE: Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases, published online Aug. 2, 2006