People with rheumatoid arthritis urged to give up smoking, say researchers

New research by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Manchester Musculoskeletal Biomedical Research Unit at the University of Manchester, has found evidence that smoking is associated with earlier deaths in those with rheumatoid arthritis, and that those who stop smoking dramatically reduce their risk of earlier death.

The findings, which were published in Arthritis Care and Research, said that there was evidence to show that smoking plays a role in the development of rheumatoid arthritis and so the prevalence of smoking is higher in these patients than in the general population. It had also been previously shown that those with rheumatoid arthritis also have an increased risk of dying earlier due to developing other health conditions, such as cardiovascular disease, cancer, severe infection and respiratory diseases.

For this study, researchers were keen to find out the relationship between stopping smoking and subsequent mortality in patients with rheumatoid arthritis. The research, led by Rebecca Joseph, Research Assistant at the Centre for Musculoskeletal Research, analised anonymous patient information from an electronic UK-based GP database, which included information on hospital admissions and death certificates.

Researchers found that the risk of death was almost two times higher in patients who smoked compared to those who never smoked, while the risk of death for former smokers was similar to that for never smokers and that in patients who stopped smoking, the risk of death fell for each additional year they had given up.

Deborah Symmons, Prof of Rheumatology and Musculoskeletal Epidemiology at The University of Manchester explains, “This research provides important evidence that the risk of early death starts to decline in patients who stop smoking, and continues year on year.

“We hope that this research can be used by public health professionals and rheumatologists to help more people quit smoking and reduce premature deaths, particularly for newly diagnosed patients with rheumatoid arthritis.”

Commenting on the study which was supported by the charity Arthritis Research UK,  Stephen Simpson, Director of Research and Programmes says, “Rheumatoid arthritis is a debilitating and painful condition affecting over 400,000 people in the UK, it can begin at any age and is unpredictable – one day you can feel fine and the next day be confined to bed, unable to get up to dress, even go to the toiled unaided.

“As a charity, we are committed to preventing, transforming and curing arthritis and musculoskeletal diseases, and this research shows that cutting out smoking is one intervention which can help this condition from developing.”

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