Autoimmune Diseases: More Than One Autoimmune Disease Not Uncommon in Individuals or Families
Wednesday April 19, 2006
It is not uncommon for more than one autoimmune disease to be reported in individuals or families. Researchers studied whether clinical reports of having more than one autoimmune disease occur by chance or if there was a true increased risk of having multiple autoimmune diseases. Researchers from the University of Michigan reviewed any association between:
- insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus
- Hashimoto (autoimmune) thyroiditis
- rheumatoid arthritis
- multiple sclerosis
The researchers reported in Epidemiology that their analysis revealed an increased prevalence of autoimmune thyroiditis among rheumatoid arthritis patients and insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus patients. There appeared to be an "inverse association" between rheumatoid arthritis and multiple sclerosis, according to researchers. Do you have more than one autoimmune disease or does more than one autoimmune disease coexist in your family? Add your comments.
Photo by Jenny Erickson (stock.xchng)
Comments
I have hashimoto thyroiditis and so does my 11 year old daughter. I was diagnosed 3 years ago. She was diagnosed 2 years ago. I have a brother with diabetes 1 and my mother has diabetes 2. Now I think I have arthritis. I had a 2-month wait to see a rheumatologist and have 2 more weeks to wait. I think it’s either RA or Psoriatic. Both are autoimmune. I also have a friend with Hashimoto thyroidits, celiac disease and multiple sclerosis–she has the trifecta of autoimmune diseases.
I have MS, RA and low thyroid. I was first diagnosed at 40 years old. My sister has Lupus, diagnosed at age 60. I am convinced there is a common physiological source of these problems. Anyone else with both MS and RA?