A new study, published yesterday in the Daily Mail newspaper, found that smoke from cooking meat in barbecues, wood-burning stoves and car exhaust may lead to rheumatoid arthritis.
The researchers found that people with the highest levels of chemicals called hydrocarbons also emitted from cigarette smoke and gas ovens were more likely to develop the disease, which is thought to arise from a complex interaction of genes, sex, age and environmental factors, including smoking, nutrition and lifestyle, reports Al-Qabas daily.
Rheumatoid arthritis is the most common inflammatory disease, affecting 400,000 people in the UK alone. It can affect adults of any age, and women are three times more likely than men to be affected.
“While levels of hydrocarbons tend to be higher in adults who smoke, other sources include vehicle exhaust, natural gas, wood smoke, coal, fumes from asphalt roads, and consumption of grilled or charred foods,” said Dr. Christopher D’Adamo of the University of Maryland School of Medicine.