Contraceptive choice may influence rheumatoid arthritis risk
Women using intrauterine devices (IUDs) – coils – may be more likely to produce autoantibodies that increase the risk of developing rheumatoid arthritis, according to findings presented at the American College of Rheumatology Annual Meeting.
Because rheumatoid arthritis is more common in women than men, the researchers wanted to look at factors specific to women such as contraception and pregnancy, to identify if they might influence the development of rheumatoid arthritis-related autoantibodies.
A groups of 976 healthy women who had a first-degree relative with rheumatoid arthritis (so are at increased risk for future rheumatoid arthritis) had a blood test and filled out a questionnaire assessing their use of contraception and pregnancy history.
Anti-CCPs can often be found in the blood several years before joint symptoms develop in rheumatoid arthritis patients. The researchers found:
• Women currently using an IUD had a statistically significantly increased risk for anti-CCP positivity.
• Women who used oral contraceptive pills (currently or in the past) had a decreased risk of anti-CCP positivity.
• There was no association between anti-CCP positivity and pregnancy or breastfeeding.
So it seems there is an association between current IUD use and a higher prevalence of anti-CCP positivity in the blood. While this study is not able to address whether IUDs increase the risk of actually developing rheumatoid arthritis, they do suggest that IUDs may be associated with the development of rheumatoid arthritis-related autoantibodies in some women who are at increased risk for rheumatoid arthritis.
“We think these findings are very exciting and will lead to future studies that improve our understanding of rheumatoid arthritis development in women,” explains Dr Kristen Demourelle, lead author. “However, it is important to remember that this study was performed in a group of women already known to be at increased risk for rheumatoid arthritis. These findings may not apply to the general population, and additional studies of women over a longer period of time are needed to confirm and extend these findings. Furthermore, not all women who were anti-CCP positive had used IUDs, so there are likely other factors related to the generation of these autoantibodies, and this will also need to be explored.”
Subscribe to Arthritis Digest, the UK’s fastest growing arthritis magazine for all the latest arthritis news, reviews and celebrity interviews. You’ll know what your doctor is talking about, what new drugs are in the pipeline and be up to date on helpful products. Hard copy and digital versions both available. Click here for more information.
Image credit: Louise Docker
