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Oily fish can protect against RA, but smoking and psychosocial stress increase its risk
Results from the EIRA study Paris, France, Friday 13 June 2008:
New data presented today at EULAR 2008, the Annual Congress of the European League Against Rheumatism in Paris, France, show that intake of oily fish is associated with a reduced risk of developing rheumatoid arthritis (RA), whereas psychosocial work stress and smoking can increase the risk of developing the condition.
The findings, all taken from a large population-based case-control study in Sweden called EIRA (Epidemiological Investigation of Rheumatoid Arthritis), shed light on the important role of environmental and social factors in the development of RA.
Intake of Oily Fish
For the first time, the intake of oily fish has been demonstrated to have a protective effect against the development of RA, reducing an individual's risk by 20-30%.
Studying 1,899 subjects with a confirmed diagnosis of RA (fulfilling ACR criteria) and 2,145 controls (randomly selected and matched for age, sex and residential area), investigators concluded that the odds ratio (OR) for developing RA was 0.8 (0.7-1.0) for those who consumed oily fish 1-7 times per week or 1-3 times per month, compared with those who never, or seldom consumed oily fish. Interestingly, no significant association with RA risk was observed for consumption of fish oil supplements.
Smoking Dosage
Tobacco smoking is an established risk factor for RA, but the investigators found that there is a dose dependency for the level of smoking (i.e. the number of cigarettes smoked across a given period) on the odds ratio of developing anti-citrulline (anti-CCP) positive RA.
The highest odds ratios were seen in those carrying a risk variant of the susceptibility gene PTPN22. In the study, 1,240 cases and 798 controls were identified as smokers from a total group of 1,419 cases and 1,674 controls via an extensive questionnaire regarding lifestyle factors, including smoking habits.
These subjects were then classified into three different groups according to the number of pack years smoked - less then 10, 10-20 or more than 20 pack years (where one pack-year is equivalent to having smoked one pack per day for one year) and genotyped to determine the presence of the PTPN22 risk allele.
Psychosocial Stress at Work
Psychosocial stress at work, defined as low decision latitude (or low level of control) was found to be associated with a higher risk for RA. Collected via a validated questionnaire, this was demonstrated in both self-reported data (OR=1.6 (95% CI 1.2-2.2)) and JEM (job exposure matrix)-derived data (OR=1.3 (95% CI 1.0-1.7)).
These results were only marginally changed when the investigators adjusted the odds ratios for social class and smoking for the 1,221 cases and 1,454 controls who participated in the study.
Mrs Annmarie Wesley of the Institute of Environmental Medicine, Stockholm, Sweden, EIRA investigator and lead author of the oily fish intake study, commented:
"The findings from these studies add to an increasing body of evidence to support the assertion that lifestyle modifications can have a significant impact on an individual's risk for developing RA, one of the most common autoimmune diseases, affecting approximately 1% of adults worldwide.
We hope that the data will contribute to the growing understanding of the aetiology of RA and, ultimately, its treatment and prevention"
Contact: Nick Hanson University of Minnesota
Posts: 590 | From Canada | Registered: Oct 2007
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posted
No mention of Polluted water's, Sewage etc, and MERCURY in fish.
Just some more toxin's for our body's to deal with.
Isn't Amalgam Mercury. !!!!! This kind of reporting is in conflict to what I have read . Limit fish intake , because of the Mercury. What do you think ?????
Change one problem for another, ie ( stop RA get more MERCURY )
Posts: 153 | From England | Registered: Jun 2008
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luvs2ride
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 8090
posted
Well, here is my story.
I have always craved salmon and eaten it at every opportunity. For a time, I ate it at least once weekly. No more than that.
I did not know about farm raised v wild salmon at that time. The farm raised has higher levels of mercury which I find very curious. No doubt I consumed mostly farm raised. I do have elevated mercury.
I still eat salmon but only wild.
I developed RA from my lyme. I also had/have a high stress career and was under ridiculous stress when my body caved in. So stress was a factor.
I smoked from the age of 15 to 30. I was 49 when Lyme/RA set in.
For what it is worth.
Luvs
-------------------- When the Power of Love overcomes the Love of Power, there will be Peace. Posts: 3038 | From america | Registered: Oct 2005
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