Scientists from the University of South Australia found that women with rheumatoid arthritis were more likely to go into remission if they took sex hormones in addition to their main arthritis treatment. Research published in the journal Rheumatology.
Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune inflammatory disease that is four times more common in women under the age of 50 than in men of the same age. Compared to men, rheumatoid arthritis is more aggressive in women and has a worse prognosis.
The study included 4474 patients with rheumatoid arthritis. They were taking the anti-inflammatory drug tocilizumab and other immunosuppressant drugs.
Remission rates were higher in groups of women who took hormone replacement therapy or oral contraceptives at the same time as rheumatoid arthritis medications. Additionally, women with regular menstrual cycles are twice as likely to be in remission than women who have stopped menstruating due to menopause.
The findings suggest that female sex hormones may play an important role in improving the condition of women with rheumatoid arthritis.