Smoking and female sex as key risk factors associated with severe arthralgia in acute and chronic phases of Chikungunya virus infection.

In conclusion, smoking and female sex were the main risk factors associated with development of severe joint pain in the acute and chronic phases of Chikungunya fever. These risk factors are similar to those associated with the development and severity of RA, possibly because the two diseases share pathophysiological mechanisms, including elevated interleukin-6 levels. PMID: 29467856 [PubMed]
Source: Experimental and Therapeutic Medicine - Category: General Medicine Tags: Exp Ther Med Source Type: research