Causes of death in patients with rheumatoid arthritis from 1971 to 1991 with special reference to autopsy
- 17 September 2009
- journal article
- Published by Springer Science and Business Media LLC in Clinical Rheumatology
- Vol. 28 (12), 1443-1447
- https://doi.org/10.1007/s10067-009-1278-9
Abstract
Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients have premature mortality, mostly attributed to cardiovascular diseases (CVDs). We studied causes of death (CoDs) and contribution of autopsy to them in RA patients treated at a single hospital responsible for primary to tertiary RA treatment in Helsinki. In 1971-1991, 960 RA patients died. The leading CoDs were CVDs, RA, and infections. Over 1971-1991, RA and renal deaths declined, but other CoDs showed no change. Autopsied patients died more frequently than nonautopsied of coronary heart disease (CHD) and gastrointestinal disorders, but less frequently of RA, renal, and endocrinologic diseases. Our finding of autopsied patients having CHD more frequently as a CoD may indicate that CHD, which may be asymptomatic in RA, may be overlooked during lifetime.Keywords
This publication has 22 references indexed in Scilit:
- Mortality in established rheumatoid arthritisBest Practice & Research Clinical Rheumatology, 2007
- The widening mortality gap between rheumatoid arthritis patients and the general populationArthritis & Rheumatism, 2007
- Cardiovascular risk of cyclooxygenase?2 inhibitors and traditional non?steroidal anti?inflammatory drugsAnnals of Medicine, 2007
- Declines in Mortality From Acute Myocardial Infarction in Successive Incidence and Birth Cohorts of Patients With Rheumatoid ArthritisCirculation, 2004
- Death rates and causes of death in patients with rheumatoid arthritis: a population‐based studyScandinavian Journal of Rheumatology, 2004
- Clinical and Autopsy Diagnoses in the Intensive Care UnitArchives of Internal Medicine, 2004
- Decreasing mortality in patients with rheumatoid arthritis: results from a large population based cohort in Sweden, 1964-95.2002
- [Should the use of anti-inflammatory analgesic drugs be estimated again?].1993
- The Autopsy as a Measure of Accuracy of the Death CertificateNew England Journal of Medicine, 1985
- CAUSE OF DEATH IN RHEUMATOID ARTHRITISRheumatology, 1984