Patients with rheumatoid Arthritis are at a higher risk of contracting Lung Cancer, a recent study shows. This increased risk was proven after the risk factors of tobacco usage and asbestos interaction were taken into consideration.

The study performed by the Veterans Health Administration, gathered information from more than 450,000 medical records belonging to veterans. All of the patient records pulled included treatment at a Veterans Health Center between the years of 1998 and 2004. More than 7,000 patients were diagnosed with lung cancer and more than 8,000 with rheumatoid arthritis.

When the medical records were compared, 3.4% of the population with lung cancer also presented with rheumatoid arthritis. At the conclusion of the study, the researchers found that the veterans who were diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis were nearly 45% more likely to later be diagnosed with lung cancer. The connection between arthritis and lung cancer was stronger as the veterans grew older.

Researchers stated in an editorial related to the research that it is unclear whether the connection between rheumatoid arthritis and lung cancer has to do with the conditions or with the environmental issues, such as smoking common among the patients with both arthritis and lung cancer.