Oral contraceptives may improve aspects of inflammatory arthritis for women, says new study

Use of oral contraceptives may provide benefits for women with inflammatory arthritis, scientists explain in Arthritis Care & Research.

A total of 273 women aged 18 years to 60 years with early inflammatory arthritis were involved in the two-year study. The experts recorded if the women had taken oral contraceptives (current/past/never), disease activity, treatment, age, body mass index, smoking, education and standard assessments of function.

They found that 18% of the volunteers had never used oral contraceptives, 63% had used oral contraceptives in the past and 19% currently used oral contraceptives.

Women who had used oral contraceptives in the past and those who were currently using them reported fewer problems related to disease activity, how well they can function and their mood.

“For past as well as current use, oral contraceptives seem to moderate patient-reported outcomes in inflammatory arthritis,” the authors say. “Protective effects may be induced via central nervous pathways rather than through the suppression of peripheral inflammation.”

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Image credit: Rachel Hofton