Research published in Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases (online December 7, 2006) found that smokers with knee osteoarthritis experienced more rapid disease progression than non-smokers. The study followed 159 men with knee osteoarthritis over a period of 2½ years.
Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was used to assess changes in knee cartilage throughout the study, and participants rated their knee pain at each follow-up visit. Of the 159 subjects, 19 men (12%) were smokers. Despite being younger and having lower body weight on average than non-smokers, the smokers experienced greater knee pain and more pronounced cartilage loss over time.
These findings suggest that smoking was associated with accelerated joint degeneration and increased pain in men with knee osteoarthritis.
