Key clinical point : A higher serum level of follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) is an independent risk factor for rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and is positively associated with RA disease activity.
Major finding: Circulating FSH levels were significantly higher in women with RA vs age-matched healthy women (57.58 ± 15.94 vs 43.11 ± 19.46 mIU/mL; P = .025 ), with women with RA in the highest vs lowest quartiles of FSH levels having a significantly higher disease activity score of 28 joints with erythrocyte sedimentation rate ( P < .001).
Study details: Findings are from a prospective analysis including 79 women with RA and 50 age-matched healthy women.
Disclosures: This study was supported by the Youth Foundation of Science and Technology Department of Shanxi Province and the National Natural Science Foundation of China. The authors declared no conflicts of interest.
Source: Zhang X et al. High follicle-stimulating hormone level associated with risk of rheumatoid arthritis and disease activity. Front Endocrinol. 2022;13:862849 (Apr 22). Doi: 10.3389/fendo.2022.862849