Women Smokers Double Their Risk of Developing Rheumatoid Arthritis

Some women smokers have double the risk of developing rheumatoid arthritis. According to research presented in the Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases, women who have not inherited a well-known genetic risk factor for rheumatoid arthritis (HLA-DRB1 SE) double their odds of developing the disease because they smoke.
Interestingly, women who had inherited HLA-DRB1 SE did not have an increased risk of developing rheumatoid arthritis due to smoking. In the study, 115 postmenopausal women with rheumatoid arthritis were compared to 466 women without the disease. All of the women participated in the Iowa Women's Health Study, a longterm research project which tracked smoking habits. The research focused on older white women. It is yet to be determined if the results hold up among other races and age groups.
source:arthritis.about.com