In addition to what are usually thought of as "women's health" issues, there are many other conditions that are much more common in women, and may be due in part to biological differences between the sexes. For example, autoimmune diseases are the third most common major illness in the United States, impacting more than 8.5 million Americans. And three out of four people suffering from autoimmune diseases, such as multiple sclerosis (MS), rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and lupus, are women.
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One of the most common autoimmune conditions is rheumatoid arthritis (RA), a debilitating form of arthritis that affects 2.1 million Americans, mostly women. This chronic, systemic disease manifests in the synovial lining of joints and can only be controlled, not cured. Pain is the chief symptom of RA, along with swelling, stiffness, joint damage and lack of mobility. The immune malfunction might reach beyond joints in RA patients, so symptoms of other autoimmune diseases, such as Sjogren's syndrome and psoriasis, are not uncommon.
Lupus, meanwhile, is a lifelong disease characterized by an immune system attack on various tissues and organs, including the skin, joints, lungs, heart and kidneys. People who develop lupus suffer a range of symptoms—from joint aches, high fevers, arthritis, chronic fatigue and anemia to skin rashes, kidney dysfunction and chest pain during deep breathing. The Lupus Foundation of America reports more than 1.5 million Americans suffer some form of the disease. However, lupus has a knack for mimicking other illnesses, making accurate epidemiology on the disease elusive. Lupus affects women 10 to 15 times more frequently than men.
Scientists are still unsure exactly what causes immune system malfunctions, but they suspect a mixture of possible contributors, including environmental toxins, chronic stress, viral infections, lack of sunlight, hormones, pregnancy and heredity. Genes can determine the status of various immune components; yet, the presence of genetic markers for certain autoimmune outcomes does not necessarily manifest in disease. The exact manifestations of the autoimmune condition may be variable but they are generally linked by chronic inflammation, which suggests some commonality in nutritional treatments.
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