RESEARCH - RA linked to interstitial lung disease

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Rheumatoid Arthritis Linked to Interstitial Lung Disease

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) Mar 10 - Patients with rheumatoid arthritis

are at increased risk for interstitial lung disease, which

significantly impacts their survival, researchers report in the

February 12th online issue of Arthritis and Rheumatism.

No population-based studies have investigated the full spectrum of

patients with rheumatoid arthritis for the presence of interstitial

lung disease and compared the incidence between those with and without

rheumatoid arthritis.

Dr. Tim Bongartz and colleagues from Mayo Clinic College of Medicine,

Rochester, Minnesota, assessed the incidence, predictors, and

mortality of interstitial lung disease in 582 patients with rheumatoid

arthritis and 603 subjects without rheumatoid arthritis who were

followed for a mean of 16.4 and 19.3 years, respectively. The mean age

at disease onset was 58 years.

The 30-year cumulative incidence of interstitial lung disease was 7.7%

for rheumatoid arthritis patients and 0.9% for controls. Patients with

rheumatoid arthritis had a significantly higher risk of interstitial

lung disease than those without rheumatoid arthritis (HR, 8.96).

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Read the full article here:

http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/718287

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