Smoking and Arthritis

Smoking is not good for people with any type of arthritis. It can make symptoms worse and make arthritis harder to treat.

Research has shown that some arthritis medications do not work as well in people who smoke. Stopping smoking will increase the chances that medications will work at peak performance.

Long-term inflammation from arthritis can double the risk of heart attack and stroke. Smoking further increases this risk.

Smoking can also make rheumatoid nodules (as seen in Rheumatoid Arthritis) worse. Arthritis that affects the rib cage such as Ankylosing Spondylitis can impact lung function which can also be impaired by smoking.

We recommend that smokers quit immediately to reduce the impact of their symptoms, improve the effectiveness of their medications, and improve their overall health.