ABSTRACT
It is well established that autoimmune, connective tissue and other rheumatic disorders, such as rheumatoid arthritis and systemic lupus erythematosus, are more common in women. As a consequence, attention by researchers has been focused on the interactive effects of sex hormones on inflammatory and immune pathways, in order to perceive disease mechanisms and explore the potential of hormonal manipulation as a therapeutic tool. The following summarizes the evidence to date of the influence of the menopause on common rheumatic disorders, and the effect of hormone replacement on these.
