Women are far more likely than men to get autoimmune diseases, when an out-of-whack immune system attacks their own bodies — and new research may finally explain why. It’s all about how the body handles females’ extra X chromosome, Stanford University researchers reported Thursday — a finding that could lead to better ways to detect a long list of diseases that are hard to diagnose and treat. “This transforms the way we think about this whole process of autoimmunity, especially the male-female bias,” said University of Pennsylvania immunologist E. John Wherry, who wasn’t involved in the study.
Women are far more likely than men to get autoimmune diseases, when an out-of-whack immune system attacks their own bodies and new research may finally explain why.
Tens of millions of Americans have an autoimmune disorder, such as lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis and more. About 4 of every 5 patients are women.
Women are far more likely than men to get autoimmune diseases, illnesses like lupus or rheumatoid arthritis that occur when the immune system mistakenly attacks their own bodies