The use of birth control pills, but not estrogen therapy, lowers the risk of developing rheumatoid arthritis, according to a new report. The findings suggest a dose-related effect, as estrogen drugs are typically one-sixth as potent as birth control pills. Although previous reports suggest a role for sex hormones in the development and progression of rheumatoid arthritis (RA), the authors explain in the February issue of The Journal of Rheumatology, studies investigating the influence of estrogen drugs on the development of RA have yielded conflicting results.
