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Cardiovascular morbidity and mortality remain similar in two cohorts of patients with long-standing rheumatoid arthritis seen in 1978 and 1995 in Malmo, Sweden.

Bergström, Ulf LU ; Jacobsson, Lennart LU and Turesson, Carl LU (2009) In Rheumatology (Oxford, England) 48. p.1600-1605
Abstract
Objective. Patients with RA have an increased risk of cardiovascular disease. Management of RA has changed substantially over time. Our aim was to evaluate changes in cardiovascular morbidity and mortality over the period of 1978-2002. Methods. Two cohorts of consecutive patients with RA seen at outpatient clinics in Malmö, Sweden, were started in 1978 (n = 148) and 1995 (n = 161) and compared with the corresponding background population. Patients were followed for 8 years, and fatal and non-fatal cardiovascular first events were identified using two national registers, hospital discharge and cause of death. Standardized morbidity ratio (SMoR) and standardized mortality ratio (SMR), adjusted for age and sex were calculated. Results. Sex... (More)
Objective. Patients with RA have an increased risk of cardiovascular disease. Management of RA has changed substantially over time. Our aim was to evaluate changes in cardiovascular morbidity and mortality over the period of 1978-2002. Methods. Two cohorts of consecutive patients with RA seen at outpatient clinics in Malmö, Sweden, were started in 1978 (n = 148) and 1995 (n = 161) and compared with the corresponding background population. Patients were followed for 8 years, and fatal and non-fatal cardiovascular first events were identified using two national registers, hospital discharge and cause of death. Standardized morbidity ratio (SMoR) and standardized mortality ratio (SMR), adjusted for age and sex were calculated. Results. Sex distribution, age at disease onset and disease duration were similar in both groups. The 1995 cohort was more extensively treated with DMARDs and had less disease activity and disability. Total cardiovascular morbidity was increased in the 1978 cohort (SMoR 158; 95% CI 111, 225) as well as in the 1995 cohort (SMoR 168; 95% CI 118, 232). This was mainly due to an increased risk of coronary artery disease. Overall mortality was elevated in the 1978 cohort but not in the 1995 cohort. There was no change in cardiovascular excess mortality (SMR 175; 95% CI 100, 284; and 172; 100, 276 for the two cohorts, respectively). Conclusions. There were similar elevations in the incidence of cardiovascular comorbidity in RA patients, identified two decades apart compared with the general population, in spite of more extensive treatment and reduced disease severity in the more recent cohort. (Less)
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author
; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
in
Rheumatology (Oxford, England)
volume
48
pages
1600 - 1605
publisher
Oxford University Press
external identifiers
  • wos:000272081000029
  • pmid:19858122
  • scopus:75649127199
  • pmid:19858122
ISSN
1462-0332
DOI
10.1093/rheumatology/kep301
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
48bf2943-4c38-43f3-b6c6-e29be91dacfd (old id 1499963)
alternative location
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19858122?dopt=Abstract
date added to LUP
2016-04-04 09:23:15
date last changed
2022-01-29 17:38:30
@article{48bf2943-4c38-43f3-b6c6-e29be91dacfd,
  abstract     = {{Objective. Patients with RA have an increased risk of cardiovascular disease. Management of RA has changed substantially over time. Our aim was to evaluate changes in cardiovascular morbidity and mortality over the period of 1978-2002. Methods. Two cohorts of consecutive patients with RA seen at outpatient clinics in Malmö, Sweden, were started in 1978 (n = 148) and 1995 (n = 161) and compared with the corresponding background population. Patients were followed for 8 years, and fatal and non-fatal cardiovascular first events were identified using two national registers, hospital discharge and cause of death. Standardized morbidity ratio (SMoR) and standardized mortality ratio (SMR), adjusted for age and sex were calculated. Results. Sex distribution, age at disease onset and disease duration were similar in both groups. The 1995 cohort was more extensively treated with DMARDs and had less disease activity and disability. Total cardiovascular morbidity was increased in the 1978 cohort (SMoR 158; 95% CI 111, 225) as well as in the 1995 cohort (SMoR 168; 95% CI 118, 232). This was mainly due to an increased risk of coronary artery disease. Overall mortality was elevated in the 1978 cohort but not in the 1995 cohort. There was no change in cardiovascular excess mortality (SMR 175; 95% CI 100, 284; and 172; 100, 276 for the two cohorts, respectively). Conclusions. There were similar elevations in the incidence of cardiovascular comorbidity in RA patients, identified two decades apart compared with the general population, in spite of more extensive treatment and reduced disease severity in the more recent cohort.}},
  author       = {{Bergström, Ulf and Jacobsson, Lennart and Turesson, Carl}},
  issn         = {{1462-0332}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  pages        = {{1600--1605}},
  publisher    = {{Oxford University Press}},
  series       = {{Rheumatology (Oxford, England)}},
  title        = {{Cardiovascular morbidity and mortality remain similar in two cohorts of patients with long-standing rheumatoid arthritis seen in 1978 and 1995 in Malmo, Sweden.}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/rheumatology/kep301}},
  doi          = {{10.1093/rheumatology/kep301}},
  volume       = {{48}},
  year         = {{2009}},
}