By Shahad Kamal
KUWAIT, May 25 (KUNA) -- The proportion of Kuwaiti women suffering from rheumatoid arthritis (diseases) slipped due to little smoking compared to the proportion of women in the developed countries, said a consultant rheumatologist at the Amiri Hospital.
This was shown in a study conducted by the Kuwait Registry for Rheumatic Diseases on 1,000 Kuwaiti patients, Dr. Adeeba Al-Herz told KUNA in a statement on Monday.
The study showed that smoking causes protein of CCB inside the blood of smoker, which is a main cause of rheumatoid diseases, she said, stressing it is the first study in its kind conducted in the Middle East.
Due to its accurate and important data, the results of the study will be presented in the European conference on rheumatoid diseases to be hosted by Rome in June, she said. About 62 percent of Kuwaiti women suffer from this disease compared to 75 percent in other countries, she made clear.
Twenty percent of Kuwaiti men smoke compared to two percent of women, she said, indicating this is a big difference between the two groups compared to the same groups in the developed countries. About 64 percent of men suffer from CCB compared to 54 percent of women, she added, noting rheumatoid diseases in Kuwait generally hit one percent. The average age of Kuwaiti people who suffer from rheumatoid diseases is 45 years, she said.
Rheumatoid is a chronic disease caused by a disorder in the function of immune system that leads to severe osteoarthritis. (end) shh.hm