Findings from a recent large study among black women are consistent with previous findings in other populations of increased risk of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) associated with cigarette smoking and decreased risk with moderate alcohol consumption. The Black Women's Health Study enrolled 59,000 black women in 1995 and collected data on demographics, health status, and medical and lifestyle variables. Follow‐up questionnaires every 2 years identified incident disease and updated risk factors. Researchers confirmed incident SLE meeting American College of Rheumatology 1997 criteria through medical record review. They found:

• 127 incident SLE cases during 1995‐2015 (mean age: 43 years at diagnosis) were confirmed.
• Compared to never smokers, the risk of SLE among ever smokers was elevated but not significantly (HR = 1.45).
• Risk was similar for current and past smoking and increased non‐significantly with increasing pack‐years.
• The HR was 0.71, for current drinking relative to never drinking, with a HR of 0.43 for ≥4 drinks/week.