New Delhi, Jan 15 || The prevalence of autoimmune diseases is increasing, especially in women, and the ongoing winter season, along with high pollution, may be worsening the symptoms, said an expert from the All India Medical Sciences (AIIMS) Delhi on Wednesday.
Dr. Uma Kumar, Professor and head of department of Rheumatology, AIIMS, explained that autoimmune diseases develop through a complex process, which may be limited to a single organ or be systemic.
While limited diseases involve only one organ, such as the pancreas, systemic conditions affect multiple organs. These include rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus, scleroderma, Sjögren’s syndrome, IgG4-related diseases, and many others, with nearly 60 diseases in this category. These are more prevalent in women.
“These diseases can occur at any age but are more common in women of reproductive age. Female hormones and immune-related genes on the X chromosome play a role. The female-to-male ratio is high in younger ages and becomes nearly equal after menopause,” Kumar said.
The ratio may be 9:1 to begin with during adolescence and young age and later turn 1:1 when women turn 70 or more than 60.