Europe UK (Commonwealth Union) – Autoimmune disorders are a group of conditions characterized by an abnormal immune response, where the immune system mistakenly identifies healthy cells and tissues as foreign invaders. As a result, it launches an attack on these cells, leading to inflammation, tissue damage, and a wide range of symptoms. Over 80 different autoimmune disorders have been identified, affecting various organs and systems in the body.
The causes of autoimmune disorders are multifactorial and have not been entirely understood. In the past genetic predisposition was thought to play a significant role, as certain genes are associated with an increased risk of developing these conditions. Environmental factors, such as infections, toxins, and certain medications, may also trigger autoimmune responses in susceptible individuals. Hormonal imbalances and a dysregulated immune system are other factors that contribute to the development of autoimmune disorders.
A recent population-based study conducted on 22 million individuals across the UK has demonstrated that autoimmune disorders currently impact around 1 in 10 individuals. The findings, that appeared in The Lancet, further point out the significance of the socioeconomic, seasonal, along with the regional variations for many autoimmune disorders giving new clues on the potential causes of these diseases.
The study was conducted by several UK universities that included University of Oxford, University College London, the University of Glasgow and others.
The findings applied consisted of a wide dataset of anonymized electronic health records from the UK looking into 19 of the most frequent autoimmune diseases. The authors explored if cases of autoimmune diseases were moving up over time, who was most frequently impacted by these conditions and the way various autoimmune diseases may co-exist with each other.
“Our study highlights the considerable burden that autoimmune diseases place upon individuals and the wider population. Disentangling the commonalities and differences within this large and varied set of conditions is a complex task. There is a crucial need, therefore, to increase research efforts aimed at understanding the underlying causes of these conditions, which will support the development of targeted interventions to reduce the contribution of environmental and social risk factors,” explained the papers senior author, Professor Geraldine Cambridge of the University College London.
