Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) has been associated with increased risk of death in the past, but a new study by investigators from Brigham and Women's Hospital (BWH) brings that risk into sharper focus. Using data from the Nurses' Health Study, which has followed more than 100,000 female registered nurses since 1976, researchers found that rheumatoid arthritis significantly increased participants' overall risk of death, especially risk of death due to respiratory or cardiovascular causes. The new work suggests the importance of vigilance in monitoring respiratory and cardiovascular symptoms among patients with RA, particularly those who are seropositive.
"Previous studies have suggested that RA may be associated with increased mortality, but were not able to control for other variables, such as smoking, that affect both RA and mortality risks," said corresponding author Jeffrey Sparks, MD, MMSc, a physician in BWH's Division of Rheumatology, Immunology and Allergy.
