Autoimmune diseases in women

Abstract:

Women are 2.7 times more likely than men to develop an autoimmune disease. Cardiovascular risk in patients with systemic lupus and rheumatoid arthritis suggests premature atherosclerosis. Premature atherosclerosis is a characteristic of the immune system and is the result of traditional cardiovascular factors, factors specific to autoimmune disease and inflammatory mediators. Patients with systemic lupus have a 5 to 8 times higher incidence of coronary disease than the general population, being associated with dyslipidemia and concomitant systemic inflammation, in addition to other traditional cardiovascular risks.

Key words:
immune diseases; female gender