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RODALE NEWS, EMMAUS, PA—Can bed bugs and silverfish cause lupus? Well, not exactly, but new research suggests that the toxic insecticides some people to use kill household pests may increase their risk of developing lupus, a rare autoimmune disease. Lupus symptoms of inflammation and pain can range from mild to very serious, sometimes affecting many parts of the body, including the joints, skin, kidneys, and heart. The study was presented at the American College of Rheumatology's annual meeting in Philadelphia.

THE DETAILS: Researchers analyzed data on more than 75,000 women aged 50 to 79 who had participated in the Women's Health Initiative Observational study, and found that those who self-reported spraying insecticides at least six times a year increased their risk of developing lupus or rheumatoid arthritis by about 2½ times when compared with the people who didn't use insecticides. Women in the study who said they hired a gardening or lawn company to apply insecticides regularly over a long-term period also had a two times greater risk of developing lupus or rheumatoid arthritis.

Since previous studies have linked a higher risk of lupus to farmers using pesticides, lead study author Christine G. Parks, PhD, an epidemiologist with the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences in Research Triangle Park, NC, decided to investigate household insecticide use in the home and garden. In the study, 178 of the women had rheumatoid arthritis, 27 had lupus, and 8 more women lived with both disorders.