Illegal Drug Use and Its Effects on Rheumatoid Arthritis

While doctors and medical professionals are unsure of all of the factors that can trigger the development of rheumatoid arthritis in adults, they do know that certain factors can increase a person's chances of contracting the disease later in life.  Many RA patients wonder do certain illegal drugs cause early rheumatoid arthritis in adults? While this question has not been extensively studied, there are signs that prove it could have some connection.

Smoking and RA

One of the other major factors for the development of RA is smoking.  Studies have shown that smokers--especially men who smoke--run a risk roughly three times greater than non-smokers for the development of RA.  The more heavily a patient smokes, the higher the chances that the patient will contract the disease.  Women who smoke are almost twice as likely to develop RA as those who do not, and even former smokers, some fifteen years after they quit, still run an elevated risk of contracting the disease.

The link between smoking and the causes of RA is still unclear; however large populations of smokers as well as RA patients have been studied, conclusively linking the two patient populations.  There was no word as to whether different means of smoking--pipes, cigars or cigarettes--affected the rate at which smokers developed the disease.

Though RA typically affects the joints and the tissues around the joints, the lungs are another target for inflammation typical of RA.  Some researchers speculate that this could be the route through which smoking increases RA development, but nothing is conclusive at this point.  There is also no definite link between nicotine, the alkaloid found in tobacco leaves, and the occurrence of RA in the patient populations studied.  Studies have not been done on patients who used illicit drugs, however illegal drugs that are ingested via smoking could potentially increase their chances of development of RA much the way tobacco smoke increases the risks. 

Illegal Drugs And The Nervous System

Most illegal drugs act on the central nervous system, which is separate from the areas affected by the swelling and inflammation associated with RA.  Though the drugs have been shown to damage tissues in the central nervous system as well as the auxiliary nervous system, they typically do not affect the joints nor the protective and connective tissues around the bones of the joints.

Some patients who suffer from painful bouts of RA may consider smoking medical marijuana as an alternative to corticosteroid therapy or the use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs); however, patients who suffer from RA also run the risk of development of fibrous tumors in the lungs, which would be exacerbated by smoking.  Another danger for RA patients is inflammation of the tissues in and around the heart which can lead to increased risk in heart attack and stroke.  Marijuana smoke increases the heart rate, which can lead to heart attack, especially in a patient population with elevated risks of heart disease.  An alternative method of delivery of the marijuana could be through oral spray or pills.
     
At this point, there is no proof that drug use leads to the development of early-onset RA.  Patients experiencing prolonged joint pain should consult a doctor.

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