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Last Updated: Mar 01, 2022
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Why Autoimmune Disease Is Common In Women?

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Dr. Nishith ChandraCardiologist • 31 Years Exp.DM Cardiology
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Although women are less likely to develop infectious diseases than men, they are more prone to autoimmune diseases as compared to men. The higher rate of such prevalence is caused mainly due to the presence of an extra X-chromosome. X-chromosomes are known to have more genes related to the immune system. Besides the presence of two X-chromosomes being advantageous, it may be responsible for a greater tendency towards autoimmune diseases.

Based on a survey, it has been found that out of the population suffering from autoimmune diseases, around 80 per cent are women. Among these, five to ten per cent suffer from chronic conditions of the diseases. This poses a major challenge for our healthcare infrastructure as well as budget.

The causes of autoimmune diseases may be multifactorial. Important causes include the following :

Immunological reactions 

Autoimmune diseases are heterogeneous groups of diseases always preceded by a common factor i.e immunological reactions. The reaction causes either systemic or organ-specific breakdown of tolerance for own body tissues. Women more commonly face such reactions than men. Thus, women comprise 80 to 90 per cent of the population suffering from Primary Sjogren’s syndrome, Systemic lupus erythematosus, autoimmune thyroid disease, etc. Women hold approximately 60 percent of the accountability.

Sex hormones

Sex hormones are the other factors responsible for more prevalence of autoimmune diseases in women. Female sex hormones i.e Oestrogen is known to have a stimulatory effect towards autoimmunity, just opposite to the males where androgens give protection against the same. Such an effect of the female hormones is more evident by the fact that most autoimmune diseases initiate after the onset of puberty in females. 

Pregnancy affects such conditions in females but in a more positive way. Rheumatoid arthritis and Multiple sclerosis are autoimmune diseases that subside during pregnancy. However, Systemic lupus erythematosus is a condition that is exacerbated during pregnancy in females.

Despite the fact that the presence of two X-chromosomes in females contributes to the prevalence of autoimmune diseases, there are certain advantages related to it. There are fewer chances of X-linked hereditary diseases in females. The presence of an extra X-chromosome also ensures a longer life span for women than men.

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