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Contraceptive pill is linked to lower risk of rheumatoid arthritis, study finds

BMJ 2017; 358 doi: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.j3925 (Published 18 August 2017) Cite this as: BMJ 2017;358:j3925
  1. Gareth Iacobucci
  1. The BMJ

Taking oral contraceptives is linked to a lower risk of developing rheumatoid arthritis, particularly in women who take the pill for seven or more consecutive years, research has shown.

But the study,1 published online in the Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases, did not find a significant link between breast feeding and a lower risk of developing rheumatoid arthritis, after accounting for various potentially influential factors.

Researchers in Sweden examined the possible link between developing rheumatoid arthritis—which is two to three times more common in women than in …

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