RESEARCH - RA incidence on the rise in women

[Guest guest]

Rheumatoid Arthritis Incidence On The Rise In Women

MedicalNewsToday.com

Article Date: 27 May 2010 - 2:00 PDT

The incidence of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in women has risen during

the period of 1995 to 2007, according to a newly published study by

researchers from the Mayo Clinic. This rise in RA follows a 4-decade

period of decline and study authors speculate environmental factors

such as cigarette smoking, vitamin D deficiency, and lower dose

synthetic estrogens in oral contraceptives may be the source of the

increase. Details of the study which includes more than 50 years of RA

epidemiology data appear in the June issue of Arthritis & Rheumatism,

a journal published by Wiley-Blackwell on behalf of the American

College of Rheumatology.

***************************************************

Read the entire article here:

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/190029.php

Not an MD