Can the Pill Prevent Rheumatoid Arthritis?

Autoimmune diseases — which strike women more commonly than men — are thought to be influenced by reproductive hormones. To study whether oral contraceptive (OC) use or recent breast-feeding affect risk for developing rheumatoid arthritis (RA), Swedish investigators conducted a population-based, case-control study that included 2641 cases (stratified by anticitrullinated protein antibody status [ACPA; a biomarker for early-stage aggressive RA]) and 4251 controls. Analyses were adjusted for age, residential area, smoking, and alcohol consumption.

Compared with never users, ever and past OC users had lower risk for developing ACPA-positive RA (odds ratio range, 0.83–0.84). OC use for >7 years was associated with lower risk for both ACPA-positi…