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CC BY 4.0 · Rev Bras Ginecol Obstet 2021; 43(05): 357-361
DOI: 10.1055/s-0041-1729149
Original Article
Human Reproduction

Gynecological/Obstetric Background and Rheumatoid Arthritis: A Cross-sectional Study in Brazilian Patients

Antecedentes ginecológicos/obstétricos e artrite reumatoide: Um estudo transversal em pacientes brasileiros
Anauá Fernanda dos Santos Cavalcante 
1   Hospital Evangélico Mackenzie, Curitiba, PR, Brazil
,
Patrícia Martin 
1   Hospital Evangélico Mackenzie, Curitiba, PR, Brazil
,
Thelma Larocca Skare 
1   Hospital Evangélico Mackenzie, Curitiba, PR, Brazil
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Abstract

Objective To study a sample of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients for their gynecological/obstetric history and compare them to controls to determine their influences on number of pregnancies, menarche, menopause and reproductive years following RA onset.

Methods This is a cross-sectional study of 122 RA patients and 126 controls. Patients and controls were questioned about age of menarche, age of menopause, number of pregnancies and abortions. Reproductive years were calculated as the difference between age at menopause and age at menarche. For comparison, we used the Mann-Whitney, unpaired t, chi-squared, and Spearman tests. The adopted significance was 5%.

Results In the RA patients with disease beginning in the postmenopausal years, the period of reproductive years (age at menopause – age of menarche) showed a positive correlation with age at disease onset (rho = 0.46; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.20–0.55 with p = 0.0008). The number of pregnancies was higher in patients with postmenopausal disease onset when compared with those with premenopausal disease onset (median of 3 with interquartile range [IQR] = 2–4 versus median of 2 with IQR = 1–3; p = 0.009), and RA patients had more pregnancies than controls (p = 0.0002).

Conclusion The present study shows that, in our population, the duration of reproductive years and the number of pregnancies are linked to the onset of RA.

Resumo

Objetivo Estudar uma amostra de pacientes com artrite reumatoide (AR), com investigação da história ginecológica e obstétrica, comparando-a com controles, visando conhecer suas influências no número de gestações, menarcas, menopausa e anos reprodutivos no início da AR.

Métodos Trata-se de um estudo transversal de 122 pacientes com AR e 126 controles. Pacientes e controles foram questionados sobre idade da menarca, idade da menopausa, número de gestações e abortos. Os anos reprodutivos foram calculados com a diferença entre a idade da menopausa e a idade da menarca. Para comparação, foram utilizados Mann Whitney, Teste t não pareados, Teste qui-quadrado e teste de Spearman. A significância adotada foi de 5%.

Resultados Nas pacientes com AR e início da doença na pós-menopausa, o período de anos reprodutivos (idade da menopausa - idade da menarca) apresentou correlação positiva com a idade de início da doença (rho = 0,46; intervalo de confiança de 95% [IC95%] = 0,20–0,55 com p = 0,0008). O número de gestações foi maior nas pacientes com início da doença no período pós-menopausa quando comparadas às pacientes em pré-menopausa (mediana de 3 com intervalo interquartil [IIQ] = 2–4 versus mediana de 2 com IIQ = 1–3; p = 0,009). Nas pacientes com AR, foi observado um maior número de gestações do que no grupo controle (p = 0,0002).

Conclusão O presente estudo mostra que, em nossa população, a diminuição dos anos reprodutivos e o alto número de gestações estão relacionados ao surgimento da AR.

Keywords

rheumatoid arthritis - pregnancies - menarche menopause - postmenopause

Palavras-chave

artrite reumatoide - gestação - menarca - menopausa - pós-menopausa

Collaborations

All of the authors contributed with the project and data interpretation, the writing of the article, the critical review of the intellectual content, and with the final approval of the version to be published.




Publication History

Received: 03 August 2020

Accepted: 04 February 2021

Article published online:
02 June 2021

© 2021. Federação Brasileira de Ginecologia e Obstetrícia. This is an open access article published by Thieme under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, permitting unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction so long as the original work is properly cited. (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)

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