See also.....
Autoimmune
Disease: Overview
About 75 percent of autoimmune diseases occur in women,
most
frequently during the childbearing years. Individually, autoimmune
diseases are not very common; however, taken together, they
represent the fourth largest cause of disability among women
in the United States.
Systemic lupus erythematosus
(SLE or lupus) is
much more common in women than in men; 9 of 10 cases occur in
women. The disease causes inflammation and damage to the joints,
skin, kidneys, heart, lungs, blood vessels, and brain. It is
three times more common in black women than in white women and
is also more common in women of Hispanic, Asian, and Native
American descent. African-American women also tend to develop
the disease at a younger age, develop more serious complications,
and have a higher mortality rate from the disease than do Caucasian
women.
Source:
http://www.niams.nih.gov/hi/topics/lupus/slehandout/index.htm
http://www.niams.nih.gov/hi/topics/lupus/lupusguide/chp2.htm
Sjögren's syndrome, a
chronic, slowly progressing inability to secrete saliva and
tears, can occur alone or with rheumatoid arthritis, scleroderma,
or systemic lupus erythematosus. Nine out of 10 cases occur
in women, most often at or around midlife. Sjögren's
syndrome is thought to affect 1 to 4 million people in the United
States. The disorder can occur at any age, but it usually is
diagnosed after age 40 and can affect people of all races and
ethnic backgrounds.
Source:
http://wwwdir.nidcr.nih.gov/sjogrens/SjogrenMain.htm
http://www.niams.nih.gov/hi/topics/sjogrens/index.htm
Rheumatoid arthritis
is
an inflammatory disease of the synovium, or lining of the joint,
that results in pain, stiffness, swelling, deformity, and loss
of function in the joints. It is estimated that about 2.1 million
Americans have rheumatoid arthritis. The disease occurs in women
two to three times as often as in men.
Source:
http://www.niams.nih.gov/hi/topics/arthritis/artrheu.htm
http://www.niams.nih.gov/hi/topics/arthritis/rahandout.htm
Scleroderma (systemic sclerosis)
affects
women three times more often than men overall, but increases
to a rate 15 times greater for women during childbearing years,
and appears to be more common among black women. An estimated
300,000 Americans have scleroderma. Approximately 80% of those
afflicted are women in their prime.
Source:
Scleroderma Research Foundation http://www.srfcure.org/home/index.html
Multiple sclerosis (MS)
usually
first appears between the ages of 16 and 60, and symptoms often
first appear between ages 20 and 40. Estimates of the number
of people in the United States who have been diagnosed with
MS range from 250,000 to 500,000. MS affects women more often
than men, perhaps two to three times more often.
Source:
www.msfacts.org/faqs.htm Multiple Sclerosis Foundation
http://www.ninds.nih.gov/health_and_medical/pubs/multiple_sclerosis.htm#howmany
Chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS)
affects
people of all ages, racial/ethnic backgrounds, and economic
situations. More women than men are diagnosed with CFS. As many
as half a million Americans have a CFS-like condition. The cause
of the illness is not known.
Hashimoto's thyroiditis,
a
type of autoimmune disease in which the immune system destroys
the thyroid, is the most common cause of hypothyroidism (when
the thyroid gland doesn't make enough hormones). Hypothyroidism
occurs 5 times more often in women than in men. Although Hashimoto's
thyroiditis can affect people of all ages, it's most common
in women in their 30s and 40s.
Source:
http://familydoctor.org/handouts/548.html American Academy of
Family Physicians
Graves' disease, one
of the most common autoimmune diseases, is the most common cause
of hyperthyroidism, in which the thyroid gland produces too
much thyroid hormone. It affects about one million people and
targets women four to eight times as often as men.
Source:
http://www.glandcentral.com/home/ (see info on hyperthyroidism)
http://www.thyroid.org/resources/patients/brochures/graves_disease.html
Psoriasis is a chronic disease
that affects the skin. Scaling
and inflammation of the skin are typical of the disease. It
is estimated that psoriasis affects more than 7 million people
in the United States. The disease affects mostly adults and
occurs about equally in men and women.
Source:
http://www.psoriasis.org/g200.htm
http://www.psoriasis.org/b500.htm
Fibromyalgia is
a disorder with symptoms of widespread muscle pain, fatigue,
and multiple tender points. It is not thought to be an autoimmune
disease at this time, but it shares symptoms with several autoimmune
illnesses. The estimated number of adults in the United States
with fibromyalgia is between 4 and 8 million. Nine out of ten
people with fibromyalgia are women. It mainly occurs in women
of childbearing age, but children, the elderly, and men are
sometimes diagnosed with fibromyalgia.
Source:
http://www.niams.nih.gov/hi/topics/arthritis/artrheu.htm
http://www.niams.nih.gov/hi/topics/fibromyalgia/fibrofs.htm
Myasthenia gravis
affects
the transmission of signals from nerves to muscles. The hallmark
of the disease is muscle weakness that increases during activity
and improves after rest. Estimates of the number of people affected
by myasthenia gravis vary, ranging from five to 14 people per
100,000. It occurs in all ethnic groups and both genders. It
most commonly affects young adult women (under 40) and older
men (over 60), but it can occur at any age. Children sometimes
develop myasthenia gravis.
Source:
http://www.ninds.nih.gov/health_and_medical/pubs/myasthenia_gravis.htm
http://www.myasthenia.org/index.htm
Guillain-Barre syndrome
is
a disorder in which the body's immune system attacks part of
the peripheral nervous system. It usually strikes following
an infection. Symptoms include varying degrees of weakness or
tingling sensations in the legs. When severe, the patient can
become almost totally paralyzed. The syndrome can affect anybody.
It can strike at any age and both sexes are equally prone to
the disorder. The syndrome is rare, however, afflicting only
about one person in 100,000.
Source:
http://www.ninds.nih.gov/health_and_medical/pubs/guillain_barre.htm
