EDITORIAL - Occupational exposures and risk of RA: continued advances and opportunities for research

[Guest guest]

Journal of Rheumatology

Jun 2008

Editorial

Occupational Exposures and Risk of Rheumatoid Arthritis: Continued

Advances and Opportunities for Research

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

OCCUPATIONAL EXPOSURES AND RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is the most common of the systemic

autoimmune diseases, affecting at least 1% of the total population,

and 2% to 3% of people over age 60 years1. Recent research focusing on

the risk of cardiovascular disease in RA and other conditions

resulting in chronic systemic inflammation2 raises new challenges for

successful longterm disease management. Is prevention of systemic

autoimmune diseases an option? The relatively low contribution of

genetic factors in RA compared with some other autoimmune diseases3,

and the declining incidence rates seen in several populations1, would

suggest the answer to that question is yes. Occupational exposures to

physical and chemical agents (e.g., noise, asbestos, benzene and other

solvents) represent potentially modifiable exposures, and thus

potentially constructive avenues for disease prevention. What are the

occupations, or occupational exposures, that would be of greatest

interest from the standpoint of the systemic autoimmune diseases?

In this issue of The Journal, Li, et al present an analysis of

occupational risk factors for RA using national databases from

Sweden4. Their study links occupation information collected in the

national censuses conducted in 1960, 1970, and 1980 to hospitalization

data from 1964 to 2004. The linkage of databases enabled the

calculation of relative incidence rates among different occupational

groups. This study builds on previous research in RA and other

systemic autoimmune diseases, which has largely focused on respirable

dusts and solvents5.

***********************************************

Read the entire article here:

http://www.jrheum.com/subscribers/08/06/950.html

--

Not an MD