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RA Linked with Several Comorbid Conditions

Arthritis Care Res; ePub 2016 Jul 22; van den Hoek, et al

Publish date:: August 15, 2016

Patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) have a significantly increased risk of mortality compared with the general population and there is a wide range of comorbid conditions linked with mortality in RA, according to a recent study. Researchers collected longitudinal data over a 14-year period, from 882 patients with RA (72% were women, mean age was 59.3±14.8 years, and the median disease duration was 5.0 [2.0 to 14.0] years). They found:

• Comorbidities that were linked with mortality were circulatory conditions, respiratory conditions, cancer, and depression.

• Careful monitoring of these comorbidities during the course of the disease and adequate referral may improve health outcomes and chances of surviving.

Citation: van den Hoek J, Boshuizen HC, Roorda LD, Tijhuis GJ, et al. Association of somatic comorbidities and comorbid depression with mortality in patients with rheumatoid arthritis: A 14-year prospective cohort study. [Published online ahead of print July 22, 2016]. Arthritis Care Res. doi:10.1002/acr.22812.

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