Women with premature ovarian insufficiency may have a significantly higher likelihood of developing severe autoimmune diseases prior to and following diagnosis, according to a recent study.

In the population-based study, published in Human Reproduction, investigators identified a significant association between premature ovarian insufficiency (POI) and severe autoimmune diseases, suggesting an important link between POI and autoimmune mechanisms.

This Finnish registry study included 3,972 women diagnosed with POI between 1988 and 2017, along with 15,708 matched controls. Women with POI had a 2.6-fold higher likelihood of being diagnosed with at least one hospital-treated autoimmune disease prior to their POI diagnosis compared with controls (5.6% vs 2.3%). Conditions such as Addison’s disease (odds ratio [OR] = 22.9, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 7.9–66.1) and systemic lupus erythematosus (OR = 6.3, 95% CI = 4.2–20.3) demonstrated elevated prevalence.

The risk of developing severe autoimmune diseases persisted after POI diagnosis. Within 3 years postdiagnosis, women with POI had a standardized incidence ratio (SIR) of 2.8 (95% CI = 2.3–3.4) for first-onset autoimmune diseases. Although the risk decreased over time, it remained higher than the general population even 12 years after diagnosis (SIR = 1.3, 95% CI = 1.1–1.6).

Not all autoimmune conditions were equally associated. For instance, the prevalence of type 1 diabetes and ankylosing spondylitis did not differ significantly between women with POI and controls. However, conditions such as vasculitis (OR = 10.2, 95% CI = 4.3–24.5) and inflammatory bowel disease (OR = 2.2, 95% CI = 1.5–3.3) showed notable increases in the POI cohort.

The investigators focused solely on autoimmune disorders diagnosed in specialized health care settings, so the actual prevalence of autoimmune disorders in women with POI could be higher.

The findings suggested a significant association between POI and autoimmune diseases, underscoring the importance of further research into the immunological mechanisms underlying POI.

Full disclosures can be found in the published study.