Why are autoimmune diseases more prevalent in women?

Age genetic and hormonal factors may explain why women are disproportionately affected by autoimmune diseases than men said experts on WednesdayAutoimmune disease occurs when the immune system attacks the bodyrsquos tissues Studies show that the condition affects approximately 8 per cent of people worldwide of which 78 per cent are womenDr Rajeev Gupta Director Internal Medicine at the CK Birla Hospital R Delhi said that hormonal influence and chromosomal differences are the two main reasons why autoimmune diseases are more common in womenldquoWomen experience significant hormonal fluctuations throughout their lives particularly during puberty pregnancy and menopause These changes especially in oestrogen levels may influence the immune system and make women more susceptible to mistakenly attacking healthy tissues autoimmunityrdquo the doctor saidRegarding chromosomes women have two X while men have one X and one YldquoOne theory suggests that the process of inactivating one X chromosome in each female cell might be incomplete sometimes This could lead to an overabundance of certain genes on the active X chromosome potentially triggering an overactive immune response and autoimmunityrdquo Dr Rajeev saidldquoAutoimmune disorders in women may be due to the silencing of their second X chromosome by molecules leading to a confusing immune system This can explain why conditions like multiple sclerosis and lupus are more common in women than menrdquo added Dr Yathish G C Lead Consultant ndash Rheumatology Aster Whitefield Hospital BengaluruCommonly autoimmune diseases become more prevalent after a womans thirties coinciding with hormonal changes associated with ageingHowever some autoimmune diseases can occur at any ageldquoSome like multiple sclerosis usually begin between the ages of 20 and 40 years whereas others such as rheumatoid arthritis start manifesting later in the 40s or early in 50srdquo Dr Yathish saidDr Harman Singh Consultant Rheumatologist Fortis Hospital Kalyan noted a dramatic rise in autoimmune illnesses notably among women aged 50 and aboveThe experts called for adopting healthy lifestyle practices such as a balanced diet stopping smoking avoiding alcohol stress reduction techniques being physically fit and avoiding environmental pollutantsThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever