Lifestyle changes prompt arthritis increase
Thursday May 27th, 2010
Growing numbers of women are suffering from rheumatoid arthritis because of the impact of modern life-styles, researchers have revealed.
Until 1990s, the disease had declined as a problem for four decades.
But a new study says increasing numbers of patients may be the result of increased smoking among women, improved contraceptives and deficiencies in vitamin D.
The findings come from a detailed study of one county in Minnesota, USA. Researchers found a steady increase in disease rates among women between 1995 and 2007, with incidence rising at 2.5 per cent a year.
Rates among men fell by 0.5 per cent a year, according to a report in the journal Arthritis & Rheumatism.
Researcher Dr Sherine Gabriel, from the Mayo Clinic, Minnesota, USA, said: "Reasons for the increase in incidence we found are unknown, but environmental factors likely play a role and should be further explored."
Contraceptives may play a part because levels of synthetic oestrogen have been reduced - and high levels may have given protection against the disease.
Writing in the same journal, Dr Ted Mikuls, of the University of Nebraska,
USA, says: "Public health measures are already under way to address
many of the environmental risk factors that have been implicated in rheumatoid
arthritis risk, including interventions that encourage smoking cessation
and efforts focused at optimising levels of physical activity, vitamin
D intake, and oral hygiene."
Tags: North America | Rheumatology | Women’s Health & Gynaecology
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