Hair Dye Use Linked to Rheumatoid Arthritis

Women who use hair dyes for more than 20 years may be nearly doubling their risk of developing rheumatoid arthritis, according to researchers.

Investigators in Sweden also found that smoking, diabetes, and a short period of fertility in women also increase the risk of rheumatoid arthritis, in which the body's immune system attacks the joints.

On the other hand, higher education levels and hay fever were associated with lower risks of developing the disease.

The researchers report that insulin use in women and previous injury to the joints also increased the risk of rheumatoid arthritis. In men, risk was linked to being born in a household with a private well and exposure to mold and farm animals.

Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases October 2001;60:934-939