Scientists Highlight the Arthritis-Fighting Effects of Smoking Cessation

(Newswire.net — December 1, 2021) Orlando, FL — Smoking cigarettes has long been considered to be one of the major threats to human health. Over decades, researchers have even been carrying out studies to look into the impacts of quitting the habit on arthritis.

One study was performed and published in the Arthritis Care & Research.

It was carried out by the investigators from Brigham and Women’s Hospital leverages data from the Nurses’ Health Studies.

In this study, it has been found that sustained smoking cessation may lessen the odds of developing seropositive RA, the more severe form of the disease.

It is worth keeping in mind that smoking is considered to be an essential risk factor for the development of the most common form of RA and other inflammatory diseases. 

“Ours is the first study to show that a behavior change can reduce the risk for seropositive RA. Risk isn’t just about genes and bad luck — there’s a modifiable environmental component to the onset of this disease and a chance for some people to reduce their risk or even prevent RA,” said corresponding author Jeffrey Sparks, MD, MMSc.

Sparks is from the Division of Rheumatology, Immunology, and Allergy at the Brigham.

This research involved data from the original Nurses’ Health Study, established in 1976, and Nurses’ Health Study II, a second cohort established in 1989. It is worth noting that both groups include registered nurses from across the U.S.

The nurse filled out health surveys every two years with questions, which included information about smoking and health status. 

The investigators identified 1,528 to have developed RA out of over 230,000 participants in this analysis. It has been found that the risk started going down around five years after women quit smoking.

The decrease actually continued the longer they stayed as non-smokers.

Studies looking into the various aspects of smoking actually pile up today. More and more researchers are highlighting that making dietary and lifestyle improvements is vital for the increased protection against diseases like arthritis. 

It may also be helpful to consider the use of certain anti-inflammatories being widely studied by researchers, and one is glucosamine. It is widely popularized by its ability to help protect the joint cartilage and repair it from damage.

Aside from glucosamine, other ingredients may also be helpful and these include turmeric. This deep yellow-orange spice has also long been studied due to its remarkable arthritis-fighting benefits.

There are formulas like VitaBreeze Glucosamine being widely used nowadays by individuals who suffer from arthritis symptoms. This formula also contains other ingredients, such as turmeric, chondroitin, and methylsulfonylmethane (MSM) (http://www.amazon.com/Glucosamine-Chondroitin-Turmeric-Dietary-Supplement/dp/B00DUMO9X4).