Early menopause is an independent predictor of rheumatoid arthritis.
BACKGROUND: As rheumatoid arthritis (RA) occurs more often in women than in men, it has been suggested that reproductive hormones may play an important role in the pathogenesis.METHODS: Between 1991 and 1996, 30 447 subjects (18 326 women) were included in a community-based health survey. Information on female hormonal changes and stress-related factors was obtained using a self-administered quest
