July 9th, 2008
Warning message
This news item is more than a year old. Links, graphics, content, medical information, and statistics may be out of date. We invite you to search, visit our homepage, or contact us to find more current information on the topic you're looking for.Smoking Can Trigger Lupus
But study says those who quit reduce their risk of autoimmune disease
By Steven Reinberg
HealthDay Reporter
THURSDAY, March 4 (HealthDayNews) -- Smoking can trigger the onset of lupus and quitting can reduce that risk, a new study finds.
"Lupus is a rare disease," says lead researcher Dr. Karen H. Costenbader, a rheumatologist from the division of rheumatology, allergy and immunology at Massachusetts General Hospital. "But we found a small, yet significant, increased risk of developing lupus among current smokers compared with people who never smoked."
Reference:
Cigarette Smoking and the Risk of Systemic Lupus Erythematosus: A Meta-Analysis
Karen H. Costenbader, Daniel J. Kim, Jehanna Peerzada, Shahin Lockman, Dolores Nobles-Knight, Michelle Petri, and Elizabeth W. Karlson
Arthritis and Rhuematism, 50:3 849-857, March 2004.