Fact Sheet on Autoimmune Disease and Women’s Health
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) recently released NIH Fact Sheets On Women’s Health Research. The section on Autoimmune Diseases and Women’s Health (pages 4-5) states that autoimmune diseases affect an estimated 25-31 million Americans, making them the third most common category of diseases in the U.S., after cancer and cardiovascular disease. Notably, 80% of those diagnosed with autoimmune diseases are women. The reasons for this gender disparity are not fully understood, but hormonal and physiological changes related to puberty, pregnancy, and menopause are believed to increase the risk and severity of these conditions in women. Pregnancy, in particular, represents a unique immunologic state that can exacerbate or alleviate symptoms depending on the specific disease, such as RA improving and SLE worsening during pregnancy.
Research indicates that sex differences in immune cell responses and the mosaicism of the female X chromosome, where immune-related genes are located, may also contribute to higher rates of autoimmune diseases in women. Environmental and occupational exposures, varying by gender, and experiences of vicarious racism have been identified as factors influencing disease activity and contributing to racial disparities in conditions like SLE.
Significant gaps remain in understanding autoimmune diseases, particularly in diagnostics, therapeutics, and outcomes. The NIH is actively working to address these gaps through extensive research funding and collaborative initiatives. In Fiscal Year 2023, NIH allocated $241 million to autoimmune disease and women’s health research, supporting various programs and initiatives aimed at improving treatment strategies and understanding the underlying mechanisms of autoimmune diseases. The recently established Office of Autoimmune Disease Research (OADR) within the Office of Research on Women’s Health (ORWH) is spearheading efforts to foster collaboration and innovation in this field, developing a strategic plan to enhance autoimmune disease research through multi-institute partnerships.