Traffic Pollution Increases Rheumatoid Arthritis Risk

Research conducted by a team from Brigham and Women’s Hospital has determined that there may be a link between traffic pollution and development of rheumatoid arthritis (RA).

The researchers used data from 90,000 women who participated in the Nurses’ Health Study and used Geographical Information Software to measure the distance from each woman’s home and the nearest major roadways. Those who lived less than 50 meters (165 feet) of an interstate highway or a primary, multi-lane road had a 31% increase in the risk of developing RA compared to women who lived over 200 meters (656 feet) from a major roadway.

“Even after accounting for the effects of age, race, sex, socioeconomic status and cigarette smoking, the increased risk for women located nearer major roads remained substantially higher,” said Jaime Hart, ScD, research fellow in the Channing Laboratory at Brigham and Women’s Hospital.

Further analysis of the data showed that nurses who lived within 50 meters of the very largest roadways experienced an increase in risk from 31 to 63 percent.

It is believed that less than 50% of the risk for developing rheumatoid arthritis is genetic. In addition, previous research indicates that environmental factors, such as cigarette smoke, may increase the risk of development.

“This coupled with prior research that suggests air pollution from traffic can cause systemic inflammation prompted us to study whether there was a direct relationship between air pollution and risk of RA” said Hart.

Hart explains that this research will encourage further investigation to determine to the exact effect that specific, measured pollution levels have on increasing the risk of development of RA.

The study was published online in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives.

Originally posted 2009-07-14 14:30:03. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

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