Skip to main content

Premature Ovarian Insufficiency Linked to Autoimmune Diseases

Medically reviewed by Carmen Pope, BPharm. Last updated on Oct 1, 2024.

By Elana Gotkine HealthDay Reporter

TUESDAY, Oct. 1, 2024 -- Women diagnosed with premature ovarian insufficiency (POI) have an increased prevalence of severe autoimmune diseases, according to a study published online Sept. 25 in Human Reproduction.

Susanna M. Savukoski, M.D., from Oulu University Hospital in Finland, and colleagues conducted a population-based registry study of 3,972 women diagnosed with spontaneous POI between 1988 and 2017 and 15,708 female population controls to examine the association with severe autoimmune diseases before and after POI diagnosis.

The researchers found that the prevalence of having at least one severe autoimmune disease was 5.6 percent in women with POI. Compared with controls, women with POI had an increased prevalence of several specific autoimmune diseases prior to the index date including polyglandular autoimmune diseases, Addison disease, vasculitis, systemic lupus erythematosus, rheumatoid arthritis, sarcoidosis, inflammatory bowel diseases, and hyperthyroidism. No difference was seen in the prevalence of type 1 diabetes or ankylosing spondylitis. During the first three years after POI diagnosis, the standardized incidence ratio for being diagnosed for the first time with a severe autoimmune disease was 2.8, which decreased to 1.3 after 12 years.

"The study results strengthen the hypothesis that autoimmune mechanisms play an important role in the pathogenesis of POI," the authors write.

Abstract/Full Text

Disclaimer: Statistical data in medical articles provide general trends and do not pertain to individuals. Individual factors can vary greatly. Always seek personalized medical advice for individual healthcare decisions.

© 2024 HealthDay. All rights reserved.

Read this next

Sexual Minority Women Report Better Sexual Functioning Than Heterosexual Women

FRIDAY, Dec. 20, 2024 -- Sexual minority women (SMW) report better sexual functioning in midlife than their heterosexual peers, according to a study published online Dec. 17 in...

Postmenopausal Women Have Higher Risk for Developing Rheumatoid Arthritis

WEDNESDAY, Dec. 18, 2024 -- Postmenopausal women, particularly those who experience early menopause, may have a higher risk for developing rheumatoid arthritis (RA)...

Recommendations Updated on Diagnosis, Management of Premature/Primary Ovarian Insufficiency

MONDAY, Dec. 16, 2024 -- In an evidence-based guideline issued by the Centre for Research Excellence in Women's Health in Reproductive Life and published online Dec. 8 in...

More news resources

Subscribe to our newsletter

Whatever your topic of interest, subscribe to our newsletters to get the best of Drugs.com in your inbox.