Women Account For 70% Of Autoimmune Disease Patients: Experts

Nearly 70 per cent of people living with autoimmune diseases are women, and it needs to be recognised as a major health issue in the country, according to experts.

- Press Trust Of India

The experts at the 40th Annual Conference of the Indian Rheumatology Association (IRACON 2025) said that doctors in India have observed that autoimmune diseases are far more common among women, especially between the ages of 20 and 50, when hormonal and lifestyle factors are most active.

During a special session dedicated to women's health and autoimmune disorders, leading rheumatologists discussed how hormonal changes, genetic predisposition and distinct biological mechanisms make women more vulnerable to such conditions.

The discussion highlighted that the female immune system, though stronger in fighting infections, can sometimes turn against the body itself, leading to autoimmune diseases.

A recent study by Stanford University has also shed light on this difference. The researchers found that women's bodies produce a special molecule called Xist RNA, which helps control one of the two X chromosomes that women carry.

However, this molecule can sometimes confuse the immune system, making it attack the body's own healthy cells instead of protecting them.

This could be one of the key reasons why autoimmune diseases are seen more often in women.

Experts at IRACON 2025 said this scientific discovery supports what doctors in India have observed for years: autoimmune diseases are far more common among women, especially between the ages of 20 and 50, when hormonal and lifestyle factors are most active.

Autoimmune disorders occur when the body's defence system, which usually protects against infections, mistakenly attacks its own tissues. Common conditions include rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, thyroiditis, psoriasis, and Sjogren's syndrome.