Widespread pain and pain intensity in patients with early rheumatoid arthritis. A cross-sectional comparison between smokers and non-smokers.
Marie-Louise Karlsson, Ann-Charlotte Elkan, Ingiäld Hafström
PMID 31367417WHAT IT FOUND
In newly diagnosed rheumatoid arthritis, smoking status does not predict pain intensity or spread.
More than half of patients report unacceptable pain regardless of whether they smoke, and pain levels correlate with disease activity rather than smoking history.
Key findings
01There were no statistically significant differences in pain intensity between current smokers and previous or never smokers.
0256% of all patients reported unacceptable pain (VAS >40 mm), with no significant difference between smoking status groups.
03Pain intensity was positively correlated with disease activity (DAS28), independent of smoking status.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
Small sample size (n=78) with no prior power calculation. Lack of data on analgesic use, depression, education, marital status, or BMI, which could influence pain perception. Cross-sectional design prevents causal inferences regarding smoking and pain. The study population was exclusively Caucasian, limiting generalizability.
Declared interests
The authors declare no competing interests.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that smoking cessation will reduce pain intensity in early RA. The study found no difference in pain levels between smokers and non-smokers, suggesting that pain at diagnosis is driven by disease activity rather than smoking status.