Age at First Birth May Influence Later Rheumatoid Arthritis Risk

THURSDAY, Jan. 30, 2025 (HealthDay News) — Women with an age at first birth (AFB) younger than 26 or older than 35 years have a higher risk for developing rheumatoid arthritis later in life, according to a study published online Jan. 16 in PLOS ONE.

Hang Cui, from the First Teaching Hospital of Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine in China, and colleagues used data from the U.S. National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (2011 to 2020; 7,449 women) to investigate the association between AFB and rheumatoid arthritis risk.

The researchers found that compared with women who had an AFB of 30 to 32 years (reference group), those who had an AFB younger than 18, 18 to 20, 21 to 23, 24 to 26, and older than 35 years had a higher risk for rheumatoid arthritis (fully adjusted odds ratios of 4.00, 2.90, 3.00, 3.18, and 3.36, respectively). Significant differences were not seen for women aged 27 to 29 and 33 to 35 years at AFB.

“To sum up, women who have an AFB <26, or >35 years are associated with an increased rheumatoid arthritis risk in their later life,” the authors write. “Policymakers may consider focusing more on women in these AFB age ranges in screening rheumatoid arthritis and making preventive measures.”

Abstract/Full Text