The average ratio of women to men with SLE is 10:1. One possible reason for this may be related to sex hormones. This is to socialbites.ca Ph.D. Said by Elena Aseeva. VA Nasonova.
“Testosterone is believed to be able to suppress the activity of the immune system, while estrogen is believed to stimulate the immune response. The features of the course of systemic lupus erythematosus in women are also well known, for example, exacerbations and high activity often occur in the early part of pregnancy and in the postpartum period, which seems to indicate a decrease in the concentration of estrogen. is associated with a change in blood plasma, ”the doctor explained.
Given this, the rheumatologist cautioned that women taking hormonal estrogen-containing birth control pills should be especially careful.
“Patients often come to us with a positive antinuclear factor, while lupus does not have other symptoms. We first ask if they are taking hormonal contraceptives containing estrogen, because these drugs can cause just such immunological disorders,” explains the expert, explaining that patients with SLE are against hormonal contraceptives and IVF. He added that he should be careful.
Men also suffer from systemic lupus erythematosus, but the disease runs atypically, as in women.
“Very often severe kidney damage develops – there are lupus nephritis, severe skin lesions, and antiphospholipid syndrome develops more often. Therefore, after the diagnosis of SLE, the patient should be followed closely by an experienced rheumatologist. Men have a higher risk of poor prognosis of the course of the disease than women, it is more difficult to achieve low activity, achieve remission of the disease, ”the doctor warned.
Formerly socialbites.ca Wrote How is alopecia treated?