Causes of death in autopsied RA patients.
Among 3115 autopsied patients, rheumatoid arthritis was registered in 41 patients (1.3%). The causes of death of these were correlated with the causes of death of 310 non-rheumatoid autopsied patients. Of the RA patients, 32% died from cardiovascular disease, 24% from infection, 27% from renal failure and 7% from malignant disease. Of the control patients, 42% died from cardiovascular disease, 9% from infection, 3% from renal failure, and 23% from malignant disease. The low frequency of malignant disease as a cause of death in RA patients may be due to a continuous immunological stimulation or due to a missed diagnosis of RA in patients who died from malignant disease.
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001172:Arthritis, Rheumatoid / Q000401:mortality*; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000401:mortality; D005260:Female; D005387:Finland; D006801:Humans; D007239:Infections / Q000401:mortality; D007676:Kidney Failure, Chronic / Q000401:mortality; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality