None listed
Conditions
Brief summary
Rheumatoid arthritis is a common chronic disease resulting in joint damage requiring joint replacement surgery, disability and increased mortality due to cardiovascular disease. Smoking has recently been shown to be a powerful environmental risk factor for onset of RA. Smoking also results in worse disease outcomes and reduces the efficacy of medications used to treat RA. These effects, together with the increase in cardiovascular deaths make smoking cessation the most important modifiable lifestyle factor in RA. Such lifestyle changes are particularly difficult for patients living with the stress of a painful chronic disease. through focus groups with Ra smokers five key barriers to smoking cessation have been identified (pain, exercise, education, coping strategies and support). An intervention programme addressing these areas has been developed and will be piloted
Interventions
Patients will be contacted by arthritis educators from Arthritis New Zealand. Advice and support will be provided around 5 key areas - pain management, education, exercise, coping strategies and support. Telephone support will be given weekly for four weeks then at week 8. All interventions will be given in person or by phone. Patients may opt to take up some suggetsions given by the arthritis educators. Phone consultations will be 30-60minutes
Sponsors
Lisa Stamp
Study design
Allocation
Randomised controlled trial
Intervention model
Parallel
Primary purpose
Educational / counselling / training
Masking
Blinded (masking used)
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
All
Age
18 Years to No maximum
Healthy volunteers
No
Inclusion criteria
Rheumatoid arthritis and smoker
Exclusion criteria
Unwilling to give informed consent
Outcome results
None listed