Mortality Gap is Widening for Rheumatoid Arthritis Patients

Rheumatoid arthritis is associated with a high risk of early death. Researchers at Mayo Clinic sought to answer whether longevity has improved over the past few decades for rheumatoid arthritis patients. Have new drugs, new treatment regimens, or early diagnosis had any impact on the expected mortality of rheumatoid arthritis patients?

According to the November 2007 issue of Arthritis & Rheumatism, the medical records of 822 rheumatoid arthritis patients from Olmsted County, Minnesota were analyzed. All residents of Rochester, Minnesota diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis between January 1, 1955 and January 1, 1995 and all Olmsted County residents diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis between January 1, 1995 and January 1, 2000 were included. The mean age for rheumatoid arthritis onset was about 58 years old. All patients were followed until death or January 1, 2007.

Researchers compared the survival rates of the rheumatoid arthritis patients diagnosed within 5 time periods: 1955-1964, 1965-1974, 1975-1984, 1985-1994, and 1995-2000. Comparing the 5 time periods, researchers found no significant difference in survival rates for the rheumatoid arthritis patients which also indicates no significant gains in longevity. To confirm their findings, another method was used and it was concluded that no evidence was found to indicate that rheumatoid arthritis patients improved in survival over the past 4 to 5 decades. Since survival has improved in the general population, there is actually a widening mortality gap between rheumatoid arthritis patients and people without arthritis.

Related Resources:

• Rheumatoid Arthritis Shortens Life Expectancy
• The Correlation of Life Expectancy and Arthritis
• 10 Facts You Need to Know About Rheumatoid Arthritis
• Lower Mortality: Obese or Thin Rheumatoid Arthritis Patients?
• Air Pollution Increases Risk of Death in People With Rheumatoid Arthritis

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