Adults who quit smoking have lower risk of developing rheumatoid arthritis

Current smokers are also 67% more likely to develop "seropositive" rheumatoid arthritis - when patients have antibodies in their blood that help identify the disease

Adults who quit smoking decades ago may have a lower risk of rheumatoid arthritis than people who gave up cigarettes more recently, a US study suggests.
 
Smoking has long been linked to an increased risk of rheumatoid arthritis, and quitting can reduce this risk. But the new study offers fresh evidence that years of cessation can pay off more than just a brief period without cigarettes.
 
“These results provide evidence for those at increased rheumatoid arthritis risk to quit smoking since this may delay or even prevent the onset of rheumatoid arthritis,” said senior study author Jeffrey Sparks