The Prevalence of Autoimmune Disorders in Women: A Narrative Review

Abstract

Autoimmune disorders are characterized as a condition in which the host's immune system mistakenly attacks itself. These disorders cause the immune system to cause a systemic reaction by attacking multiple organs or may be localized to attacking one specific organ, such as the skin. The exact mechanism of such autoimmune conditions is not well understood; however, the presumed mechanism tends to vary amongst the disorders. Autoimmune diseases present with a clear gender bias with a greater prevalence amongst women, occurring at a rate of 2 to 1. Many autoimmune disorders tend to affect women during periods of extensive stress, such as pregnancy, or during a great hormonal change. A far greater number of women are affected every year with autoimmune diseases, leading to researchers attempting to identify the underlying factors, which could be responsible for this disparity. Autoimmune disorders occur as a result of multiple factors as some disorders may be genetic, while others are sporadic. Throughout this review, various hypotheses are explored that provide insight into the increased susceptibility of autoimmune disorders within women.