Shorter reproductive time span and early menopause increase the risk of ACPA-negative inflammatory arthritis in postmenopausal women with clinically suspect arthralgia
Main finding · ACPA-negative IAResult — go to the resultHazard ratio 2.9 95% CI 1.05–8.0Authors' conclusion
In patients with arthralgia at risk for RA, lifetime exposure to oestrogens and/or the drop in oestrogen levels after menopause might play a role in the pathophysiology of ACPA-negative RA.
Study context
- Population
- Women with clinically suspect arthralgia (CSA) from two independent CSA cohorts
- Participants
- 433 women2 CSA cohorts
- Exposure
- Postmenopausal vs premenopausal women; in postmenopausal women, measures of lifetime oestrogen exposure (reproductive years, ovulatory years, early menopause)
- Outcome
- Time to inflammatory arthritis (IA) development, stratified for ACPA status
Methodological detailstwo independent cohorts, consecutively included, stratified for ACPA status
- Two independent cohorts
- Consecutively included
- Stratified for ACPA status
Main finding
ACPA-negative IA
Hazard ratio
2.9
95% CI 1.05–8.0
Postmenopausalvs Premenopausal
HR 2.9 (95% CI 1.05–8.0)
As reported in the abstract
Observational data: associations, not effects.
Further findings
| Outcome | HR (95% CI) | |
|---|---|---|
| ACPA-positive IA | 0.8 (0.4–1.9) | |
| 0.512Hazard ratio (log scale) |
ACPA-negative inflammatory arthritis (IA) by oestrogen exposure measures (postmenopausal women)
| Estimate | ||
|---|---|---|
| Early menopause | HR 11.1 (95% CI 2.4–51.1) | |
| Reproductive years | HR per 1 year increase 0.88 (95% CI 0.78–0.99) | |
| Ovulatory years | HR per 1 year increase 0.88 (95% CI 0.78–0.99) | |
| 0.050.21520Ratio (log scale) |
Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) development
- Results were similar for RA development
ACPA-negative IA by oestrogen exposure measures (postmenopausal women)
- No increased risk of ACPA-positive IA with these measures
Original publication
Shorter reproductive time span and early menopause increase the risk of ACPA-negative inflammatory arthritis in postmenopausal women with clinically suspect arthralgia. Rheumatology (Oxford). Published 14 February 2025. doi:10.
Composed by AI from the published abstract and checked against it. How Briefs are made →