The impact of smoking on disease activity, disability, and radiographic damage in rheumatoid arthritis: is cigarette protective?

The ojective of this study is to assess the effect of tobacco smoking on disease activity, functional ability, and joint damage in a cohort of patients with early onset rheumatoid arthritis (EORA). 129 EORA patients attending the Rheumatology Unit of the School of Medicine of the "Universidad Nacional de Colombia" and the "Clínica de Artritis y Rehabilitación" in Bogota, Colombia, were enrolled in a prospective observational cohort study with 3-year follow-up. Clinical, biological, immunogenetics, and radiographic data were analyzed.

The Role of 25-Hydroxyvitamin D as a Predictor of Clinical and Radiological Outcomes in Early Onset Rheumatoid Arthritis.

Objective: The aims of this study were to compare the levels of 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) in patients with early-onset rheumatoid arthritis (EORA) versus a healthy control group and to assess the association of 25(OH)D deficiency and the BsmI polymorphism of the vitamin D receptor gene with clinical, radiological, and laboratory parameters.

Methods: Early-onset RA Colombian patients were enrolled in a 3-year follow-up study. Vitamin D deficiency was diagnosed for 25(OH)D levels of less than 20 ng/mL.