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A new study presented at EULAR 2012, the Annual Congress of theEuropean League Against Rheumatism, shows that early menopause predicts a milder form of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). New insights on factors influencing RA are good news forsufferers of the chronic inflammatory disease that currentlyaffects over 2 million women in Europe. 1,2 The study, based on 134 incident RA cases, found that patients agedover 45 years with a history of early menopause were 50% lesslikely to develop severe RA (16% versus 35%) and more likely todevelop a mild/moderate rheumatoid factor (RF) negative phenotype(58% versus 20%). There was no major difference in RA severitydepending on oral contraceptive use or history of breast feeding.This study highlights that hormonal changes may influence pathwaysthat are distinct from those leading to severe, progressivedisease. Dr. Mitra Pikwer from Sk ne University Hospital, Sweden, andlead study author commented: "We already know that hormonal factorsmay influence the risk of RA, but this is the first study we knowof that investigates the impact of menopausal age on the severityof RA. This is an important breakthrough, both in helping usunderstand the impact that hormones may have on the development ofthis disease and potentially also in helping us predict thelong-term prognosis for our patients." The study identified patients who answered a questionnaire in acommunity based health survey (conducted between 1991 and 1996) andlater developed RA. Information on hormonal predictors includingbreastfeeding history, history of oral contraceptive use andmenopausal age (early menopause 45 years or normal/late menopause 45 years) was obtained via the questionnaire. By a structuredreview of the patients medical records, relevant information suchas use of disease modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDs) includingbiological treatment, radiographic erosions, rheumatoid factor (RF)status as well as Health Assessment Questionnaire (HAQ*) data wascollected. These variables were added to the SPSS TwoStep ClusterAnalysis in order to reveal natural groupings of RA severity. RA is a chronic inflammatory disease with female predominance.Hormonal factors such as breast-feeding history, use of oralcontraceptives and menopausal age have all been suggested toinfluence the risk of RA. As yet the underlying mechanisms andtheir impact on disease progression are unknown. Additional References Citations. We are high quality suppliers, our products such as Mens Ankle Socks Manufacturer , China Women No Show Socks for oversee buyer. To know more, please visits Womens Cotton Tights.
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