Increasing mortality rate due to rheumatoid arthritis-related lung diseases in Japan. Issue 1 (3rd February 2020)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Yamasue, Mari; Komiya, Kosaku; Takahashi, Osamu; Kadota, Jun-ichi
• Is Part Of: ERJ open research. Volume 6:Issue 1(2020)
• Publication Date: 2020-02-03
• Subjects: Respiratory organs -- Diseases -- Periodicals; Respiration -- Periodicals; Respiration; Respiratory organs -- Diseases; Respiratory organs -- Diseases -- Treatment; Respiratory Tract Diseases; Electronic journals; Fulltext; Internet Resources; Periodicals; Periodical; 616.2005
• DOI: 10.1183/23120541.00217-2019
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 2312-0541

Abstract

The quality of life of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients has dramatically improved in the approximately two decades since biological agents were first introduced for its treatment [1]. However, whether current treatment strategies for RA have helped improve the prognosis of patients suffering from complications due to RA remains controversial. National data from the USA have shown that the mortality rate of RA-associated interstitial lung disease (ILD), a major complication associated with a poor prognosis in RA patients, seems to be gradually increasing, whereas the mortality rate of patients with any type of RA-associated disease has been decreasing [2]. The rates of death due to RA-LD among deaths from any type of RA-related cause have been increasing in Japan. A large-scale study is required to explain this trend. http://bit.ly/2Ew8fhW