Multimorbidity burden predicts lower likelihood of remission and higher likelihood of disease flare in patients with rheumatoid arthritis
Authors' conclusion
Multimorbidity predicts higher odds of RA flare and lower odds of remission. Adverse SDoH burden predicts lower odds of remission.
Study context
- Population
- Patients aged ≥18 years in Olmsted County, Minnesota, with incident rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in 1999–2014incident RA
- Participants
- 659 patients
- Exposure
- Multimorbidity (≥2 conditions) and substantial multimorbidity (≥5 conditions) vs without; adverse SDoH burden (ADI, Social Vulnerability Index (SVI))
- Outcome
- RA flare and remission (OMERACT definitions)
Methodological detailspopulation-based, mixed effects models
- Population-based
- Mixed effects models
Main finding
As reported in the abstract
Flare
Odds ratio (95% CI)
Multimorbidity
1.29(1.04–1.59)
Substantial multimorbidity
1.26(1.03–1.53)
Observational data: associations, not effects.
Further findings
| Outcome | OR for remission (95% CI) | |
|---|---|---|
| Remission by SVI (per 0.1 increase above 0.3)8% lower odds of remission | 0.92 (0.85–0.99) | |
| 0.512OR for remission (log scale) |
Other factors associated with flare and remission
- Flare also associated with female sex, smoking, younger age and shorter disease duration, but not seropositivity
- Remission also associated with male sex, never smoking, older age and longer disease duration, but not seropositivity
Parts of this Brief are withheld: the automatic checks could not confirm them against the abstract.
Original publication
Multimorbidity burden predicts lower likelihood of remission and higher likelihood of disease flare in patients with rheumatoid arthritis. RMD Open. Published 5 August 2025. doi:10.
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