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Who Is Affected by Raynaud's Phenomenon?

About 10% of people are affected by one of two kinds of Raynaud's phenomenon:1

  • Primary Raynaud's (sometimes called Raynaud's disease) has no known cause. It is more common than the secondary form of Raynaud's. It occurs most often in women.
  • Secondary Raynaud's (sometimes called Raynaud's syndrome) usually causes more severe symptoms and may develop as the result of other diseases, such as lupus, scleroderma, rheumatoid arthritis, or atherosclerosis. Other causes of secondary Raynaud's include taking certain medicines, using vibrating power tools for several years, smoking, or having frostbite.

Citations

  1. Klippel JH (2008). Raynaud phenomenon. In K Wolff et al., eds., Fitzpatrick's Dermatology in General Medicine, 7th ed., vol. 2, pp. 1643–1648. New York: McGraw-Hill.
By Healthwise Staff
Primary Medical Reviewer Anne C. Poinier, MD - Internal Medicine
Specialist Medical Reviewer Stanford M. Shoor, MD - Rheumatology
Last Revised June 30, 2010

Last Revised: June 30, 2010

Author: Healthwise Staff

Medical Review: Anne C. Poinier, MD - Internal Medicine & Stanford M. Shoor, MD - Rheumatology

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