Why Smoking Causes Rheumatoid Arthritis: What Patients Need to Know
One of the most important health risks we discuss with patients is smoking – especially for those at risk for autoimmune diseases like rheumatoid arthritis (RA). The link is not just correlation. Smoking causes rheumatoid arthritis, and it also worsens the disease after diagnosis.
If you’re searching for answers or seeking expert care, keep reading to understand how smoking affects RA, and what steps you can take to protect your health.
How Smoking Causes Rheumatoid Arthritis in the First Place
Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disease where the body’s immune system mistakenly attacks the joints, causing pain, inflammation, and long-term joint damage. Genetics play a role, but lifestyle factors – especially smoking – can trigger the disease in genetically predisposed individuals.
Here’s how smoking causes rheumatoid arthritis biologically:
- Lung Inflammation: Smoking inflames the lungs and alters the immune response.
- Citrullination Process: It changes proteins in the body through a process called citrullination, which makes them look “foreign” to the immune system.
- Autoantibody Production: This triggers the production of antibodies called ACPAs (anti-citrullinated protein antibodies), a hallmark of rheumatoid arthritis.
- Genetic Multiplier: For those with the HLA-DRB1 gene, smoking increases RA risk by up to 20 times.
In short, smoking doesn’t just increase the risk of RA – it can cause it by flipping on the autoimmune switch.
How Smoking Causes Rheumatoid Arthritis to Worsen After Diagnosis
Once rheumatoid arthritis develops, smoking continues to do serious damage, both to the joints and overall health. The harmful effects don’t stop at increased risk – smokers with RA face a harder, more painful journey with the disease.
In fact, people with RA who smoke tend to have:
- Higher Disease Activity: More joint pain, swelling, and stiffness.
- Less Response to Treatment: Medications like methotrexate and biologics are less effective in smokers.
- More Complications: Smoking increases the likelihood of lung involvement, cardiovascular disease, and vasculitis in rheumatoid arthritis patients.
- Accelerated Joint Damage: Smokers show more rapid X-ray progression of joint erosion and disability.
The evidence is overwhelming and well-documented across decades of rheumatology research: smoking causes rheumatoid arthritis to become significantly more aggressive, more resistant to standard treatments, and more destructive to both joint and systemic health over time.
Smokers with RA face a steeper uphill battle – not only do they endure more intense and frequent flares, but they also experience faster progression of joint erosion, greater risk of permanent disability, and more complications that affect the lungs, heart, and blood vessels. As a result, managing RA becomes more complex, less predictable, and often requires more intensive medical intervention. Simply put, smoking turns an already challenging disease into one that’s far more difficult to control – both for the patient and the healthcare team.
How Rheumatology Care Helps When Smoking Causes Rheumatoid Arthritis
At Empowered Arthritis and Rheumatology Center, we provide expert rheumatology care that looks at the whole person – not just the joints. When smoking is part of the equation, we act quickly with both medical treatment and lifestyle counseling.
As one of the leading rheumatology centers in North Carolina, we’ve helped many patients quit smoking, start evidence-based RA treatment, and regain quality of life. Our board-certified rheumatologists in North Carolina understand how to tailor care plans for patients whose disease is complicated by smoking history.
We use a combination of:
- Early diagnostic testing (like ACPA and rheumatoid factor)
- Aggressive but safe treatment strategies
- Patient-centered smoking cessation support
- Education to empower long-term disease management
Take Action If You Think Smoking Causes Rheumatoid Arthritis in Your Life
If you’re experiencing joint pain, morning stiffness, or have a family history of rheumatoid arthritis – and you smoke or have smoked – it’s time to take your symptoms seriously. Smoking causes rheumatoid arthritis, but quitting and getting early rheumatologic care can make a dramatic difference.
Contact Empowered Arthritis and Rheumatology Center, a top-rated rheumatology center in Orlando, to schedule your consultation today. Our compassionate rheumatologists in Orlando are ready to help you get the answers, care, and support you need.