Common rheumatoid arthritis risk factors 'also affect those of African descent'

Genetic and environmental factors associated with rheumatoidarthritis in people from European and Asian backgrounds also apply to people of African ancestry. This is according to a new Arthritis Research UK-funded study led by King's College London, which offers evidence of a shared genetic and environmental underpinning for the disease that is consistent across European, Asian and African ancestry populations. Assessing risk factors among a black British population The study, published in the medical journal Rheumatology, looked at data from 197 people withrheumatoid arthritis and 868 controls in south London, all of whom were of African ancestry, whether they were of black African, black Caribbean or black British ethnicity. Smoking and alcohol consumption data at the point of diagnosis was assessed, while genetic data was analysed according to known rheumatoid arthritis susceptibility factors affecting European and Asian populations. It was found that all known susceptibility trends for the disease also affected those of African ancestry, with similar genetic risk scores and consistent associations between smoking/drinking habits and the prevalence of disease. The need for more universal research insights This is the first analysis of these associations specifically targeting UK-based African ancestry individuals, which is an important issue as few ethnic minority patients usually participate in this kind of research. Lead author Dr Ian Scott said:"The GENRA study...
Source: Arthritis Research UK - Category: Rheumatology Source Type: news