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Age, race affect sarcoidosis incidence in women

Several factors — including age, race and geographic region of residence — appeared to influence a woman’s risk for sarcoidosis, according to study results.

“We provide recent national data on the epidemiology of sarcoidosis among U.S. women. Important differences in prevalence and incidence were observed across U.S. regions,” Orianne Dumas, PhD, of the Channing division of network medicine at Brigham & Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, and colleagues wrote. “Large epidemiological studies are needed to better understand the causes of the observed demographic and geographic differences in sarcoidosis.”

Dumas and colleagues used the Nurses’ Health Study II to evaluate 377 cases of sarcoidosis among individuals prospectively enrolled in the study since 1989. The nurses self-reported sarcoidosis after a physician diagnosis through a questionnaire completed every 2 years.

The researchers determined the baseline prevalence of sarcoidosis was 100 cases for every 100,000 women. During more than 2.2 million person-years of follow-up, the average annual incidence rate was 11 per 100,000 women.

Results showed incidence increased with age (P = .003). Researchers reported incidence rates of nine cases per 100,000 women aged younger than 35 years, compared with 15 cases per 100,000 women aged 55 years or older.

Dumas and colleagues reported higher prevalence (OR = 5.24; 95% CI, 2.87-9.55) and incidence (HR = 3.8; 95% CI, 2.31-6.24) among black women than white women.

Researchers observed greater than twofold differences in sarcoidosis prevalence and incidence based on region. Rates were consistently higher among women who lived in the Northeast, researchers wrote. – by Jeff Craven

Disclosure: Healio.com was unable to confirm the researchers’ relevant financial disclosures at the time of reporting.