By Neuroscience News
A study of 22 million people found autoimmune disorders now affect around one in 10 individuals, with women more affected than men.
The research also revealed socioeconomic, seasonal, and regional disparities among several autoimmune disorders.
Variations are unlikely to be attributable to genetic differences alone, and may point to the involvement of potentially modifiable risk factors such as smoking, obesity, or stress.
A person with one autoimmune disease is more likely to develop a second, indicating that some autoimmune diseases share common risk factors, such as genetic predispositions or environmental triggers.