Autoimmune disorders now affect around one in ten individuals

New population-based study led by UCL and the University of Oxford shows that autoimmune disorders are more common than previously thought. The research, published in The Lancet , estimates that around one in ten individuals in the UK now live with an autoimmune disorder. The findings also highlight important socioeconomic, seasonal and regional differences for several autoimmune disorders, providing new clues as to what factors may be involved in these conditions. Autoimmune diseases occur when an issue causes the immune system to mistakenly attack normal healthy cells in the body. T here are more than 80 known autoimmune diseases, including conditions like rheumatoid arthritis, type 1 diabetes and multiple sclerosis. Some autoimmune disorders, such as type 1 diabetes, are reported to have increased in recent decades. This has raised the question whether overall incidence of autoimmune disorders is on the rise and what factors are involved, such as environmental factors or behavioural changes in society.