A new study published in the journal Rheumatology has found that menopausal status is linked to a functional decline in women with rheumatoid arthritis.
- In earlier studies, it has been shown that women with rheumatoid arthritis suffer changes in their disease surrounding reproductive and hormonal life events.
- Past studies also showed that women who experience early menopause have more chances of developing rheumatoid arthritis in comparison to those who experience normal or late menopause.
- The authors of the study aimed to evaluate the link between menopause and functional status in women with rheumatoid arthritis by conducting an observational study.
- In the study, the researchers used the data of a total of 8,189 women who developed rheumatoid arthritis before menopause.
- The results of the study showed that women who were pre-menopausal had fewer cases of functional decline in comparison with women who were post-menopausal, even after adjustments for other significant factors were made.
- The results revealed that pre-menopausal women experienced a slower physical decline in comparison to those that were post-menopausal.
- They found that menopause has a great impact on the level and rate of functional decline in women with rheumatoid arthritis.
- In addition, menopause is linked to a worsening progression of the effects of rheumatoid arthritis.
In conclusion, the findings of the study suggest that menopause not only greatly affects the level and rate of functional decline in women with rheumatoid arthritis, but is also related to a worsening development of the effects of the disease.
Journal Reference:
Mollard E, Pedro S, Chakravarty E, Clowse M, Schumacher R, Michaud K. THE IMPACT OF MENOPAUSE ON FUNCTIONAL STATUS IN WOMEN WITH RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS. Rheumatology. 2018. DOI: dx.doi.org/10.1093/rheumatology/kex526
