Lifestyle can have an impact on the course and prognosis of rheumatoid arthritis, and in a meta-analysis, British scholars analyzed the lifestyles that influence the condition of patients with rheumatoid arthritis. The researchers searched the MEDLINE database for all case-control studies and cohort studies on modifiable risk factors for rheumatoid arthritis from 1948 to February 2011, and a systematic analysis of the relationship between the onset of rheumatoid arthritis and lifestyle found that smoking remains a clear environmental risk factor for rheumatoid arthritis, with smoking clearly associated with This risk has a dose-dependent effect, with the increased risk of disease due to smoking decreasing to a limiting risk level only after up to 20 years of smoking cessation. The association between other factors and the development of rheumatoid arthritis is weaker than for smoking. However, prospective studies have shown that dietary antioxidants and breastfeeding may be protective factors for the development of rheumatoid arthritis, while excessive coffee intake may increase the risk of rheumatoid arthritis. Factors negatively associated with the development of rheumatoid arthritis include educational and social class background and alcohol consumption. Among smokers, alcohol consumption has a protective effect. Obesity also increases the risk of developing rheumatoid arthritis. The investigators said that the risk factors and phenotypes for the development of rheumatoid arthritis remain to be confirmed in larger prospective studies.