Temporal trends in mortality in patients with rheumatoid arthritis: a Danish population-based matched cohort study
Authors' conclusion
Enhanced improvement in mortality was found in RA patients compared with matched controls, but for sex-specific differences excess mortality was only persistent in women with RA.
Study context
- Population
- Danish patients with incident RA diagnosed 1996–2015, followed until end of 2020, and matched general-population controls
- Exposure
- Incident RA vs matched non-RA individuals from the Danish general population
- Outcome
- 5-year all-cause mortality
- Follow-up
- 5 years
Methodological detailsnationwide, matched 1:5 on year of birth and sex, pseudo-observation approach
- Nationwide
- Matched 1:5 on year of birth and sex
- Pseudo-observation approach
Main finding
As reported in the abstract
5-year all-cause mortality, RA vs matched controls in 1996-2000
RA vs Matched controlsRisk difference (95% CI)
1996-2000
3.5%(2.7%–4.4%)
2011-15
−1.6%(−2.3% to −1.0%)
RA vs Matched controlsRelative risk (95% CI)
1996-2000
1.3(1.2–1.4)
2011-15
0.9(0.8–0.9)
Observational data: associations, not effects.
Further findings
| Outcome | RA | Matched controls |
|---|---|---|
| Age-adjusted 5-year cumulative incidence proportion of death for a 60-year-old, diagnosed in 1996-2000 | 8.1% (95% CI 7.3%–8.9%) | 4.6% (95% CI 4.2%–4.9%) |
| Age-adjusted 5-year cumulative incidence proportion of death for a 60-year-old, diagnosed in 2011-15 | 2.9% (95% CI 2.3%–3.5%) | 2.1% (95% CI 1.9%–2.4%) |
Mortality by sex
- Excess mortality persisted in women with RA throughout the study period
- Mortality risk for men with RA in 2011-15 similar to matched controls
Original publication
Temporal trends in mortality in patients with rheumatoid arthritis: a Danish population-based matched cohort study. Rheumatology (Oxford). Published 7 July 2023. doi:10.
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