Women whose periods stop early at higher risk of autoimmune conditions, study shows | Women with premature ovarian insufficiency condition are more likely to develop conditions such as diabetes and lupus
https://www.theguardian.com/society/2024/sep/26/women-periods-stop-early-autoimmune-diseases-premature-ovarian-insufficiency
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From the article: Women with premature ovarian insufficiency, whose periods stop before 40, have a much greater risk of severe autoimmune diseases, according to [research](https://academic.oup.com/humrep/article-lookup/doi/10.1093/humrep/deae213).
Premature ovarian insufficiency (POI) occurs when women under 40 no longer produce eggs because their ovaries have stopped working properly. Periods become irregular and then stop, and some women experience menopause symptoms. It affects 1% of women globally.
A study has found that women with POI are twice to three times as likely to develop severe autoimmune conditions such as type 1 diabetes, overactive thyroid, lupus and inflammatory bowel disease, compared with the general population.
The researchers say the findings significantly strengthen the hypothesis that autoimmune processes play a “pivotal role” in the onset of POI.
It’s probably because 10-30% of the time POI is an auto-immune condition.