Researchers have found an unexpected relationship between axial spondyloarthritis and smoking and alcohol consumption, according to a report on a recent study from Ankylosing Spondylitis News. In the new study—published by Ladehesa-Pineda et al in Seminars in Arthritis and Rheumatism—among over 4,000 patients, researchers discovered that those who had axial spondyloarthritis and smoked were less likely to experience peripheral symptoms such as peripheral arthritis and dactylitis. Compared with 38.9% of patients with the condition who had a smoking history, 46.6% of those who never smoked reported peripheral symptoms; interestingly, alcohol intake appeared to have no bearing on peripheral symptoms when compared with a lack of alcohol intake. Despite the findings, the researchers warned that smoking and alcohol consumption have both been linked to an increased risk of experiencing severe main symptoms associated with axial spondyloarthritis. They concluded that the results of the study could point to the possibility that individuals with more severe types of axial spondyloarthritis should smoke and consume alcohol less frequently or avoid the products altogether and called for more studies analyzing the correlation between lifestyle habits and more severe disease manifestations.
May 25, 2023