To print: Select File and then Print from your browser's menu --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Title: ACR: Smoking-Cessation Counseling For Lupus Patients URL: http://www.pslgroup.com/dg/23DBE6.htm Doctor's Guide November 4, 2003
By Jerry Ingram ORLANDO, FL -- November 4, 2003 -- Counseling for smoking cessation may need to be incorporated into the management of patients with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE), researchers said here on October 28th at the Annual Meeting of the American College of Rheumatology (ACR). Michelle Freemer, MD, University of California, San Francisco, United States, stated that physicians may want to stress the connection between smoking and the risks associated with SLE, since patients do not necessarily stop smoking following the SLE diagnosis. To examine the prevalence of smoking among patients with SLE, Dr. Freeman and her fellow researchers enrolled 917 patients diagnosed with SLE according to ACR criteria. Smoking status was available for 863 patients who filled out self-report questionnaires upon enrollment in the study. Detailed smoking histories (including the years of smoking) were available for 301 patients, Dr. Freemer stated. The patients in this study were classified as "ever smokers," "never smokers" and/or "current smokers." Two-hundred ninety-two women in the study (38%) and 89 (51%) of the men were classified as "ever smokers." When data for all ethnic groups for women and men with SLE were combined, the researchers observed that the prevalence of smoking was consistent (ranging from 14-17% in women and from 19-26% in men) at multiple time points relative to the diagnosis of SLE (before, at, or after the diagnosis). Based upon this consistency, researchers concluded that SLE diagnosis has no impact on the rate of smoking in this patient population. "Given the known high rate of cardiovascular disease in these patients, and the adverse consequences of smoking," Dr. Freemer concluded, "smoking cessation counseling should be an important part of the management of patients with this disabling illness." [Study Title: SLE Diagnosis Does Not Change Smoking Rate: Abstract 296] --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Copyright © 1999 P\S\L Consulting Group Inc. All rights reserved. Republication or redistribution of P\S\L content is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of P\S\L. P\S\L shall not be liable for any errors, omissions or delays in this content or any other content on its sites, newsletters or other publications, nor for any decisions or actions taken in reliance on such content. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- This news story was printed from *Doctor's Guide to the Internet* located at http://www.docguide.com --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Return to News Story Page This site is maintained by webmaster@pslgroup.com Please contact us with any comments, problems or bugs. All contents Copyright (c) 1998 P\S\L Consulting Group Inc. All rights reserved.