BOSTON -- A new study has tied traffic pollution to an increased risk of rheumatoid arthritis.

As NewsCenter 5's Heather Unruh reported Thursday, researchers at Brigham and Women's Hospital found living near a major road could boost your risk.

Noise pollution is one problem associated with living near a major road. Now, local researchers have tied traffic pollution to rheumatoid arthritis.

"There are a lot of studies out in the literature that show air pollution, once you're exposed to it, leads to changes in the blood, which lead to general inflammation throughout your body. So we wanted to see if it was then related to rheumatoid arthritis," said Jaime Hart, a research fellow with Channing Laboratory at Brigham and Women's Hospital.

To find out, Hart and fellow researchers analyzed the records of 90,000 women in the Nurses Health Study. They used special software to measure the distance between their homes and the nearest highways.

"Women who lived within 50 meters, or about 130 feet within one of these roads, were at a 31 percent increased risk of rheumatoid arthritis compared to women who lived 200 meters away," Hart said.

When they looked at women who lived within 50 meters of major roadways, like the Massachusetts Turnpike or Route 128, they had a 63 percent increased risk, according to Hart.

Hart said this is the first time anyone has really examined an environmental cause of rheumatoid arthritis. She points out this is something to think about, but more studies need to be done.