The Effect of Stopping Smoking on Disease Activity in Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA). Data from BARFOT, a Multicenter Study of Early RA

Overview

Journal Open Rheumatol J

Publisher Bentham Open

Specialty Rheumatology

Date 2012 Nov 2

PMID 23115602

Citations 18

Authors

Maria LE Andersson

Stefan Bergman

Maria K Soderlin

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Objective: We studied the effect of stopping smoking on disease activity in patients with RA.

Methods: Between 1992 and 2005, 2,800 adult patients were included in the BARFOT early RA study in Sweden. Disease Activity Score 28 joints (DAS28), C-reactive protein (CRP), Health Assessment Questionnaire (HAQ), rheumatoid factor (RF), anti-CCP, general health and pain visual analog scales (VAS), EULAR response and treatment were registered at inclusion and at follow-up 2, 5 and 8 years. In 2010, a self-completion postal questionnaire was sent to 2,102 patients, enquiring about lifestyle factors, including cessation of smoking.

Results: A total of 1,460 adult RA patients with disease duration ≤2 years were included in this study. Seventeen percent smoked in 2010. In total, 127 patients stopped smoking after inclusion in the study. Smoking cessation after inclusion in the study was negatively associated with EULAR good outcome at 8 years (OR 0.44, 95% CI 0.22-0.86, p=0.02), controlled for age, disease duration, sex, socioeconomic class, smoking status, RF, and DAS28 at inclusion.

Conclusion: Seventeen percent of the RA patients smoked in 2010 in this large Swedish RA cohort. Stopping smoking after onset of RA did not change the poor prognosis of smokers with RA, but all RA patients need to stop smoking because of the high risk of cardiovascular mortality and morbidity and the association of smoking with vasculitis and noduli in RA.

Citing Articles

[Influence of smoking, nutrition and other modifiable environmental factors on rheumatoid arthritis].

Schafer C, Keysser G, Reuss-Borst M Z Rheumatol. 2024; 83(9):706-720.

PMID: 39158701 DOI: 10.1007/s00393-024-01559-y.

Newly developed cardiovascular risk factors in rheumatoid arthritis patients initiating biologic treatment.

Zareba W, Krawiec P, Banaszkiewicz M, Batko K, Golab A, Plicner D Reumatologia. 2024; 61(6):424-431.

PMID: 38322099 PMC: 10839918. DOI: 10.5114/reum/176554.

Smoking cessation patterns, usefulness of quitting methods, and tobacco cessation motivators and barriers to quit in patients with rheumatoid arthritis.

Lopez-Olivo M, Michaud K, Schumacher R, Minnix J, Cinciripini P, Suarez-Almazor M Clin Rheumatol. 2023; 42(8):2053-2068.

PMID: 37093403 DOI: 10.1007/s10067-023-06593-w.

A systematic review with meta-analysis of the effects of smoking cessation strategies in patients with rheumatoid arthritis.

Lopez-Olivo M, Sharma G, Singh G, James J, Krause K, Cinciripini P PLoS One. 2022; 17(12):e0279065.

PMID: 36520847 PMC: 9754184. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0279065.

Lifestyle Factors and Their Influence on Rheumatoid Arthritis: A Narrative Review.

Schafer C, Keysser G J Clin Med. 2022; 11(23).

PMID: 36498754 PMC: 9736780. DOI: 10.3390/jcm11237179.

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