SAN FRANCISCO – Mortality rates are declining in people with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and more closely match those in the general population, according to a retrospective, population-based study reported at the annual meeting of the American College of Rheumatology.
The study did not identify why deaths from cardiovascular disease and cancer declined in people diagnosed with RA in the years 2001-2006, compared with those diagnosed between 1996 and 2000. But the findings suggest that the decline is related to earlier and more aggressive treatment of RA, as well as recognition of the importance of managing cardiovascular risk factors in patients with the disease.
In a video interview, the study’s lead investigator, Dr. Diane Lacaille, professor of rheumatology at the University of British Columbia, Vancouver, discussed the study findings and the implications for management of inflammation in both RA and cardiovascular disease.
Dr. Lacaille had no relevant financial disclosures to report.