Article

The Connection between Systemic Lupus Erthematosus and Smoking

The results from a study that evaluated the side effects of smoking in people with systemic lupus erthematosus found they clearly experienced skin damage and rashes.

Researchers from the Candian-based McGill University Health Center (MUHC) have conducted a study evaluating the side effects of smoking in people with systemic lupus erthematosus (SLE), the results of which can be found on The Journal of Rheumatology website. The study results demonstrated that these people clearly experienced skin damage and rashes, which confirmed the researchers’ conclusions about SLE and smoking.

There were 276 people involved in the study, which assessed their demographic information, smoking history, disease activity, medications, and damage scores. Upon reviewing the data, the researchers learned that “current cigarette smoking was associated with total cutaneous damage… and with scarring,” in addition to active lupus rash.

“Up to 85 per cent of people with SLE develop skin involvement at some point,” said lead author Christian A. Pineau, MD, co-director of the lupus and vasculitis clinic at the MUHC. “Our study shows that the risk of skin damage such as permanent hair loss and scarring from skin inflammation is significantly increased in smokers.”

Although no cure has been found for SLE, there are drugs that can decrease the impact of its associated symptoms. However, Sasha Bernatsky, MD, study co-author, MUHC Rheumatology Division said that “smoking may interfere with the effectiveness of some medications used to control skin disease in SLE… This may be part of the reason who smoking heightens skin damage in SLE.”

Related Videos
Orrin Troum, MD: Accurately Imaging Gout With DECT Scanning
John Stone, MD, MPH: Continuing Progress With IgG4-Related Disease Research
Philip Conaghan, MBBS, PhD: Investigating NT3 Inhibition for Improving Osteoarthritis
Rheumatologists Recognize the Need to Create Pediatric Enthesitis Scoring Tool
Presence of Diffuse Cutaneous Disease Linked to Worse HRQOL in Systematic Sclerosis
Alexei Grom, MD: Exploring Safer Treatment Options for Refractory Macrophage Activation Syndrome
Jack Arnold, MBBS, clinical research fellow, University of Leeds, Leeds Institute of Rheumatic and Musculoskeletal Medicine
John Tesser, MD, Adjunct Assistant Professor of Medicine, Midwestern University, and Arizona College of Osteopathic Medicine, and Lecturer, University of Arizona Health Sciences Center, and Arizona Arthritis & Rheumatology Associates
Gaith Noaiseh, MD: Nipocalimab Improves Disease Measures, Reduces Autoantibodies in Sjogren’s
Laure Gossec, MD, PhD: Informing Physician Treatment Choices for Psoriatic Arthritis
© 2024 MJH Life Sciences

All rights reserved.