PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - Hanna Nurmi
AU  - Miia Kärkkäinen
AU  - Riitta Kaarteenaho
AU  - Minna Purokivi
TI  - Co-morbidities and cause of death in patients with rheumatoid arthritis associated interstitial lung disease
AID  - 10.1183/13993003.congress-2015.PA3797
DP  - 2015 Sep 01
TA  - European Respiratory Journal
PG  - PA3797
VI  - 46
IP  - suppl 59
4099  - http://erj.ersjournals.com/content/46/suppl_59/PA3797.short
4100  - http://erj.ersjournals.com/content/46/suppl_59/PA3797.full
SO  - Eur Respir J2015 Sep 01; 46
AB  - Various types of interstitial lung diseases (ILD) are relatively common in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Since little is known about morbidity of the RA-ILD patients, we have evaluated co-morbidities and cause of death in patients with RA-ILD.The patients with RA (n=444) and patients with ICD-10 code J84 (n=610) were treated in Kuopio University Hospital out-patient clinic of respiratory medicine in the years 2002-2012 due to respiratory symptoms. After re-evaluation, we selected 61 patients (23 men and 38 women) with RA-ILD into this study. Radiological and clinical information of the patients was collected on specially designed forms and re-analyzed. Concomitant diseases and both primary and immediate causes of death were gathered.Fifty-one percent of patients were non-smokers. The mean age at the time of diagnosis of RA-ILD was 70 years and mean survival after diagnosis was similar (5.6 years) in both genders and in smokers and non-smokers. The most common concomitant diseases were cardio vascular disease (CVD) (37%) and hypertension (35%), followed by diabetes (15%), asthma (15%) and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) (12%). Forty-nine percent of the subjects had died. The most common causes of death were ILD (38%) and CVD (35%). The most common immediate causes of death were pneumonia and CVD (both 32% of cases).We conclude that although CVD and hypertension were the most common co-morbidities in the patients with RA-ILD, obstructive lung diseases also co-existed rather often. The most prevalent cause of death was ILD, and acute respiratory infection was frequently present in conjunction with the chronic lung disease.