Scientists at Stockholm's Karolinska Institutet say it has long been known environmental factors such as smoking and drinking alcohol -- as well as heredity -- increase the risk of the disease.
The study, published in Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, suggests stress and a heavy work load, as well as having little control over outcomes, increase the chances of developing rheumatoid arthritis.
Study leaders Lars Alfredsson and Lars Lareskog call this psychosocial workload "low decision latitude."
"We've uncovered clear correlations between the disease and jobs in which one cannot control one's own situation," Alfredsson says in a statement.
Alfredsson presented some of the findings at a research seminar in Stockholm arranged by the Karolinska Institutet.
soooo.... Like... working at an investment firm with the current state of the stock market would pretty much be bad for me, huh?they don't define "heavy workload" ... I would say the stress that is on the body from the line of work you are in can be described as the heavy work load. Because of the way most peoples lives are now stress is everywhere unfortunately. I no longer have physical stress on my joints since I changed jobs, but now it is more mental stress which can be just as bad. But to tell you the truth I am more willing to take the mental stress then the physical stress because I have learned to tune out the mental stress when I get home. I am not so drain that when I get home I can still enjoy being home. I have learn to turn off the phone, work on a craft project, read a book turn off the tv, & tune out the world.