Smoking and rheumatoid arthritis

Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic inflammatory disease caused by genetic and environmental factors. Smoking is the one of the most important external risk factors for development rheumatoid arthritis, severity, rapid disease progression and an unsatisfactory response to treatment. This findings determines the importance of studying smoking among patients with rheumatoid arthritis to identify barriers to smoking cessation and factors contributing to tobacco cessation, as well as to develop specific smoking cessation programs.