Introduction
Menopause is the absence of menses for 12 months with no pathophysiologic cause. However, age-related changes in ovarian function begin in her mid-40s when follicles are depleted. The resulting hypothalamic and pituitary hormonal changes maintain ovulation and fertility, sometimes for decades, to compensate for reduced follicular reserve. The transition to menopause presents highly variable and cyclical follicle development, ovulation, and disrupted menstrual bleeding patterns. The average age at menopause is about 51 years, and later age at menopause correlates with longer life. Rheumatic diseases include autoimmune manifestations and the common and nearly ubiquitous osteoarthritis. These disorders are generally more common in women than in men.
Menopause occurs naturally in women around the age of 50. Although there are abundant data on the relationship between menopause and systemic lupus erythematosus, rheumatoid arthritis, and osteoarthritis, data on other rheumatic diseases are limited. Menopausal age may influence the risk and course of rheumatic disease. Osteoporosis, an integral part of inflammatory rheumatic diseases, is exacerbated by menopause. Hormone replacement therapy has been studied, and its effects vary from disease to disease and even different symptoms within the same disease. Cyclophosphamide can induce premature menopause but decreased ovarian reserve is seen in rheumatic disease.
What Is the Relationship between Menopause And Rheumatic Diseases?
Some people with rheumatic disease have seen that their symptoms exacerbate during menopause. It is seen that menopause can affect rheumatic disease. About three times as many women as men get the disease. For many women, symptoms of rheumatic disease improves during pregnancy.
What Are the Causes of Menopause-Induced Rheumatic Disease?
Reduction in the estrogen levels of the body can cause menopause-induced rheumatic disease. Estrogen receptors are also present in the synovium of joints. It is this decline in estrogen in the run-up to menopause that can give rise to joint pains and stiffness. Osteoarthritis is the most common type of rheumatic condition in women. Researchers also believe that menopause can lead to distinct changes in disease activity and increased well-recognized cardiovascular and bone health risks. The transition to menopause is associated with disease progression in rheumatoid arthritis, and functional impairment is evidenced by elevation of symptoms and more number of hospital visits by menopausal women complaining of joint pain .
When to Get Help for Menopause-Induced Rheumatic Disease?
Seek doctor’s advice before making any major changes to the rheumatoid arthritis (RA) treatment routine, such as: Stopping or increasing medication. Check with the doctor before adding any supplements to the diet to make sure they do not interfere with the current treatment. Also, consider talking to the doctor if rheumatic disease or menopause symptoms are getting worse. They may recommend additional treatments, change in current treatment, or make other recommendations.
How Is Menopause-Induced Rheumatic Disease Diagnosed?
The diagnosis of menopause-induced rheumatic disease is made in the ways listed below:
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Blood Tests - Patients with rheumatic diseases often have elevated erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR, also known as sed rate) or C-reactive protein (CRP), which indicates the presence of an inflammatory process in the body. Other common blood tests that look for antibodies are rheumatoid factor test and anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide (anti-CCP).
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Imaging Tests - The doctor may recommend X-rays to help track the progression of rheumatic diseases in the joints over time. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and ultrasound tests can help the doctor judge the severity of the disease in the body.
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Hormone Testing - Blood and urine are checked for follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and estrogen, because the FSH levels increase and estradiol levels decrease as menopause occurs. Thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) is also checked, because an underactive thyroid (hypothyroidism) can cause symptoms similar to those of menopause.
How to Prevent Menopause-Induced Rheumatic Disease?
The ways to prevent menopause-induced rheumatic disease are listed below:
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Daily Exercise - Aerobic exercise and resistance training are necessary for relieving arthritis pain, improving mobility, controlling weight, and relieving depression and anxiety. Due to an anti-anxiety brain chemical called Peptide Y, Exercise can help prevent menopausal bone loss and improve quality of life, and it has the same benefits during and after menopause.
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Eat Healthy Food - Decades of research have shown that a plant-based Mediterranean diet with an emphasis on vegetables, fruits, small amounts of fish, and healthy fats, especially olive oil, can reduce both arthritis and menopausal symptoms, including cardiovascular disease. Shown to provide powerful benefits. Hot flashes and night sweats. Cutting out caffeine alone can prevent hot flashes and recurrences of rheumatic diseases.
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Avoid Smoking - Smoking is not only a major risk factor for rheumatic disease, but also increases vasomotor symptoms such as hot flashes and night sweats.
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Mindfulness Meditation - Research shows that mindfulness meditation, which focuses on bringing the attention to the present moment without judgment, reduces many common symptoms of menopause and arthritis, including insomnia and depression. It shows that it relaxes.
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Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) - Guidelines from the American College of Rheumatology (ACR) recommend HRT for people with postmenopausal rheumatic disease. Exceptions are those with lupus or antiphospholipid antibodies, both of which increase the risk of blood clots. ACR tentatively recommends HRT for lupus patients who do not have antiphospholipid antibodies because of the low risk of relapse. A conditional recommendation means that there isn't enough evidence to make a strong judgment anyway. Do not use HRT in case of antiphospholipid syndrome or are being treated with anticoagulants such as warfarin or heparin.
Conclusion
Research has shown that women with rheumatic diseases experience changes associated with reproductive and hormonal life events such as childbirth and vice versa. Women have a lower incidence of rheumatic diseases during pregnancy but an increased incidence of disease onset and relapse in the postpartum period. Women are more likely to develop rheumatic diseases. The results of many studies demonstrate that menopause has a significant impact on the degree and rate of functional decline in women with rheumatic diseases and is associated with exacerbating the progression of disease effects. Regular health check-ups by women during menopause can slow the progression of rheumatic conditions.
