Abstract:

Inflammatory rheumatic diseases (IRD) are chronic diseases and their etiology is not clearly known. Genetics, autoimmunity and environment are thought to play a role in its etiology. Smoking is one of the well-known environmental factors that are accused in the etiopathogenesis of IRD and worsen the prognosis. Quitting smoking is the most important modifiable lifestyle factor in the management of IRD. We conducted a 38-question survey on patients with IRH who applied to the rheumatology outpatient clinic. A total of 338 patients, 252 (74.6%) of whom were women, were included in the study. 96 of the patients (28.4%) were smokers; 56 (16.6%) had quit. While 186 patients (55%) thought that smoking was harmful to the joints, 136 (40.5%) thought it would increase the symptoms of the disease. The mean Fagerström Nicotine Dependency Test (FNDT) score was 2.67±2.6. 57 of the smokers (66.3%) smoked when they had joint pain; 45 (51.7%) defined cigarettes as a good friend; 69 (90.8%) thought that people with similar diseases should quit smoking; It was determined that 49 of them (56.3%) received advice from their family physician, rheumatologist and rheumatology nurse about quitting smoking. The smoking rate was high in patients with IRD, and some disease-related factors prevent them from quitting smoking. Education, effective pain treatment, help in combating stress, support in quitting smoking and not starting again, and development of special quitting methods can make quitting smoking easier.

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