Quote:My ex had it, I think, although never diagnosed. I think Raynaud's was a symptom of Sjogren's disease... not sure every one with the symptoms has the whole shebang.
I also suspect that batches of people with low blood pressure??? might have cold extremities? (guessing wildly..)
Oddly enough, I'm contemplating spending the semester surveying the literature on Raynaud's. The gf has it, and the physiological aspects of and lack of information on the disease interest me. Brief synopsis:
Raynaud's disease (or phenomenon) can be diagnosed in a primary or a secondary form. The primary form appears on its own -- as a genetic and/or developmental defect or as an occupational problem, brought on by repeated motion or by working with vibrating tools. The secondary form appears in conjunction with one of a suite of other diseases, including rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, and scleroderma. It is much more common in women than men.
The disease is marked by spasms of the arterioles in the fingers and/or toes in response to cold or stress, resulting in loss of blood flow to these regions. The severity of the symptoms vary widely between afflicted individuals. In severe cases, the continued loss of circulation can lead to ulcers in the affected tissues and even to gangrene, though this is relatively rare. Some researchers claim that the continued loss of blood flow leads to slow nail growth and slender fingers.
The primary form of the disease can de distinguished from the secondary form by examining the blood vessels at the base of the fingernail under a microscope (100x with oil immersion); there is a noticeable thickening of arteriole walls in patients with the secondary but not the primary form of the disease. (Which suggests to me that we're really talking about two different diseases with similar symptoms, but... whatever.)
Estimates of what portion of the population is affected vary, but I've seen estimates as high as 10%, though it wasn't immediately apparent from the soure how this figure was arrived at and whether it meant 10% of the overall population or 10% of the female population. It's more commonly observed in colder climates, naturally...
There's more about it here:
http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/public/blood/other/raynaud.htm
