High cholesterol seems to be linked to rheumatoid arthritis in women but not men

High total cholesterol level may increase the risk of developing rheumatoid arthritis in women but not men, says a large study in Arthritis Research & Therapy.

Data was used from a health survey that included 22,444 men (average age 44 years) and 10,902 women (average age 49 years). Blood samples were taken and the volunteers filled out a questionnaire on medical and personal history.

A total of 290 diagnoses of rheumatoid arthritis were made (151 men and 139 women). Each of these were compared with four rheumatoid arthritis-free controls.

Findings
• Women diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis during follow-up had higher total cholesterol levels compared with controls at the start of the study, even after taking smoking and early menopause into account;
• Total cholesterol levels had no impact on risk of rheumatoid arthritis in men;
• Triglyceride levels did not predict rheumatoid arthritis in men or women;

Implications
The finding that high total cholesterol was associated with increased risk of rheumatoid arthritis in women only “suggests that sex-specific exposures modify the impact of lipids on the risk of rheumatoid arthritis; hormone-related metabolic pathways may contribute to rheumatoid arthritis development,” the researchers say.

Click here to read the original research.

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