Study suggest stress may cause autoimmune diseases

A higher incidence of autoimmune diseases appears to be more common in people who were previously diagnosed with stress-related disorders, according to a new study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association.  The aim of the study was to determine whether there is an association between stress-related disorder and subsequent autoimmune disease.

For individuals who have suffered with an autoimmune disease, few would disagree with this study.  Many have always attributed their disease to stressors of life and the timing of their diagnoses.

Defining autoimmune disease and stress

Autoimmune diseases are among the most mysterious and baffling conditions one can get. It’s not unusual for a definitive diagnosis to take years to determine as many of the symptoms of these conditions mimic symptoms of other diseases.  An autoimmune disease is associated with a malfunction of the immune system which causes the body to attack its own tissues. The body’s immune system is a complex network of specialized cells and organs which defend against foreign substances and invaders into our body meaning to cause us harm.  There are many autoimmune diseases but some of the more common are rheumatoid arthritis, psoriasis, multiple sclerosis, and type 1 diabetes.

Sometimes if a condition of any unknown cause in which inflammation is present or the immune system seems to be involved is often labeled “autoimmune.”  It is possible that sometimes such a condition could actually be caused by an infection but yet gets the term autoimmune associated with it.

Stress is defined as any experience that causes tension, whether physical, psychological, or emotional. If the “fight or flight” response (when the adrenal gland releases adrenaline, leading to a rapid pulse and breathing, and increased blood pressure) is accompanied with stress, this can accelerate stress even more. The “fight or flight” response serves us well if being chased by a tiger or needing to run out of a burning building. But when we have persistent stress – worries over finances, mental or physical health, or relationship difficulties – this could lead to chronic disease such as high blood pressure or an autoimmune disease.

Findings from the study

More than 100,000 participants for this study were involved, each having been diagnosed with stress-related disorders.  Researchers compared their tendency to develop an autoimmune disease with 126,000 of their siblings and also with another million people who did not have any stress-related disorder.

The study found that individuals diagnosed with a stress-related disorder were:

·      More likely to be diagnosed with an autoimmune disease (about nine out of 1,000 people who had stress-related disorders, but only about six in 1,000 of those without stress-related disorders)

·      More likely to develop multiple autoimmune diseases

·      Had a higher rate of autoimmune disease if younger

One important observation found was those with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) being treated with an SSRI (an antidepressant), their risk of developing an autoimmune disease was less dramatic. 

Take away from the study

Since this study was an observational study meaning a researcher simply observes and records the behavior in a systematic manner without influencing or interfering with the behavior, it cannot conclude that stress-related disorders actually cause autoimmune disease. There can be many explanations for causes of autoimmune disease and it can be very difficult to identify a precise date that such a disease or a stress-related disorder began. It is also possible that the autoimmune condition may have already been present before the stress-related disorder was diagnosed, therefore meaning the stress-related disorder could not have caused the autoimmune disease.

Other possibilities to consider for the development of autoimmune disease is that when people go through a stressful situation, they may be more likely to smoke and smoking has been linked to an increased risk of certain autoimmune diseases, including rheumatoid arthritis and multiple sclerosis.

At this time, whether stress or stress-related disorders do have a role in autoimmune disease remains speculative. More clinical trials are needed to look further into the possibility of this notion and if there is any treatment for stress-induced psychological illnesses that could prevent autoimmune disease,