title: Decreased Cardiovascular Mortality in Patients with Incident Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) in Recent Years: Dawn of a New Era in Cardiovascular Disease in RA?
abstract: To assess trends in cardiovascular (CV) mortality in patients with incident rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in 2000-07 versus the previous decades, compared with non-RA subjects.
  
  
  
  The study population consisted of Olmsted County, Minnesota, USA residents with incident RA (age ≥ 18 yrs, 1987 American College of Rheumatology criteria was met in 1980-2007) and non-RA subjects from the same underlying population with similar age, sex, and calendar year of index. All subjects were followed until death, migration, or December 31, 2014. Followup was truncated for comparability. Aalen-Johansen methods were used to estimate CV mortality rates, adjusting for competing risk of other causes. Cox proportional hazards models were used to compare CV mortality by decade.
  
  
  
  The study included 813 patients with RA and 813 non-RA subjects (mean age 55.9 yrs; 68% women for both groups). Patients with incident RA in 2000-07 had markedly lower 10-year overall CV mortality (2.7%, 95% CI 0.6-4.9%) and coronary heart disease (CHD) mortality (1.1%, 95% CI 0.0-2.7%) than patients diagnosed in 1990-99 (7.1%, 95% CI 3.9-10.1% and 4.5%, 95% CI 1.9-7.1%, respectively; HR for overall CV death: 0.43, 95% CI 0.19-0.94; CHD death: HR 0.21, 95% CI 0.05-0.95). This improvement in CV mortality persisted after accounting for CV risk factors. Ten-year overall CV mortality and CHD mortality in 2000-07 RA incidence cohort was similar to non-RA subjects (p = 0.95 and p = 0.79, respectively).
  
  
  
  Our findings suggest significantly improved overall CV mortality, particularly CHD mortality, in patients with RA in recent years. Further studies are needed to examine the reasons for this improvement.
authors.affiliation: From the Division of Rheumatology, Department of Internal Medicine, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science; Division of Biomedical Statistics and Informatics, Department of Health Sciences Research, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science; Division of Epidemiology, Department of Health Sciences Research, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science, Rochester, Minnesota; Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, New Brunswick, New Jersey, USA. myasoedova.elena@mayo.edu.|E. Myasoedova, MD, PhD, Division of Rheumatology, Department of Internal Medicine, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science; C.S. Crowson, MS, Division of Rheumatology, Department of Internal Medicine, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science, and Division of Biomedical Statistics and Informatics, Department of Health Sciences Research, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science; E.L. Matteson, MD MPH, Division of Rheumatology, Department of Internal Medicine, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science, and Division of Epidemiology, Department of Health Sciences Research, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science; J.M. Davis III, MD, MS, Division of Rheumatology, Department of Internal Medicine, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science; T.M. Therneau, PhD, Division of Biomedical Statistics and Informatics, Department of Health Sciences Research, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science; S.E. Gabriel, MD, MSc, Division of Epidemiology, Department of Health Sciences Research, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science, and Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School. myasoedova.elena@mayo.edu.
authors.forename: Elena
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Myasoedova
authors.affiliation: From the Division of Rheumatology, Department of Internal Medicine, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science; Division of Biomedical Statistics and Informatics, Department of Health Sciences Research, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science; Division of Epidemiology, Department of Health Sciences Research, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science, Rochester, Minnesota; Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, New Brunswick, New Jersey, USA.|E. Myasoedova, MD, PhD, Division of Rheumatology, Department of Internal Medicine, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science; C.S. Crowson, MS, Division of Rheumatology, Department of Internal Medicine, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science, and Division of Biomedical Statistics and Informatics, Department of Health Sciences Research, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science; E.L. Matteson, MD MPH, Division of Rheumatology, Department of Internal Medicine, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science, and Division of Epidemiology, Department of Health Sciences Research, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science; J.M. Davis III, MD, MS, Division of Rheumatology, Department of Internal Medicine, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science; T.M. Therneau, PhD, Division of Biomedical Statistics and Informatics, Department of Health Sciences Research, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science; S.E. Gabriel, MD, MSc, Division of Epidemiology, Department of Health Sciences Research, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science, and Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School.
authors.forename: Sherine E
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Gabriel
authors.affiliation: From the Division of Rheumatology, Department of Internal Medicine, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science; Division of Biomedical Statistics and Informatics, Department of Health Sciences Research, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science; Division of Epidemiology, Department of Health Sciences Research, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science, Rochester, Minnesota; Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, New Brunswick, New Jersey, USA.|E. Myasoedova, MD, PhD, Division of Rheumatology, Department of Internal Medicine, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science; C.S. Crowson, MS, Division of Rheumatology, Department of Internal Medicine, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science, and Division of Biomedical Statistics and Informatics, Department of Health Sciences Research, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science; E.L. Matteson, MD MPH, Division of Rheumatology, Department of Internal Medicine, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science, and Division of Epidemiology, Department of Health Sciences Research, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science; J.M. Davis III, MD, MS, Division of Rheumatology, Department of Internal Medicine, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science; T.M. Therneau, PhD, Division of Biomedical Statistics and Informatics, Department of Health Sciences Research, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science; S.E. Gabriel, MD, MSc, Division of Epidemiology, Department of Health Sciences Research, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science, and Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School.
authors.forename: Eric L
authors.initials: EL
authors.lastname: Matteson
authors.affiliation: From the Division of Rheumatology, Department of Internal Medicine, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science; Division of Biomedical Statistics and Informatics, Department of Health Sciences Research, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science; Division of Epidemiology, Department of Health Sciences Research, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science, Rochester, Minnesota; Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, New Brunswick, New Jersey, USA.|E. Myasoedova, MD, PhD, Division of Rheumatology, Department of Internal Medicine, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science; C.S. Crowson, MS, Division of Rheumatology, Department of Internal Medicine, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science, and Division of Biomedical Statistics and Informatics, Department of Health Sciences Research, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science; E.L. Matteson, MD MPH, Division of Rheumatology, Department of Internal Medicine, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science, and Division of Epidemiology, Department of Health Sciences Research, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science; J.M. Davis III, MD, MS, Division of Rheumatology, Department of Internal Medicine, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science; T.M. Therneau, PhD, Division of Biomedical Statistics and Informatics, Department of Health Sciences Research, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science; S.E. Gabriel, MD, MSc, Division of Epidemiology, Department of Health Sciences Research, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science, and Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School.
authors.forename: John M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Davis
authors.affiliation: From the Division of Rheumatology, Department of Internal Medicine, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science; Division of Biomedical Statistics and Informatics, Department of Health Sciences Research, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science; Division of Epidemiology, Department of Health Sciences Research, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science, Rochester, Minnesota; Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, New Brunswick, New Jersey, USA.|E. Myasoedova, MD, PhD, Division of Rheumatology, Department of Internal Medicine, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science; C.S. Crowson, MS, Division of Rheumatology, Department of Internal Medicine, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science, and Division of Biomedical Statistics and Informatics, Department of Health Sciences Research, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science; E.L. Matteson, MD MPH, Division of Rheumatology, Department of Internal Medicine, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science, and Division of Epidemiology, Department of Health Sciences Research, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science; J.M. Davis III, MD, MS, Division of Rheumatology, Department of Internal Medicine, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science; T.M. Therneau, PhD, Division of Biomedical Statistics and Informatics, Department of Health Sciences Research, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science; S.E. Gabriel, MD, MSc, Division of Epidemiology, Department of Health Sciences Research, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science, and Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School.
authors.forename: Terry M
authors.initials: TM
authors.lastname: Therneau
authors.affiliation: From the Division of Rheumatology, Department of Internal Medicine, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science; Division of Biomedical Statistics and Informatics, Department of Health Sciences Research, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science; Division of Epidemiology, Department of Health Sciences Research, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science, Rochester, Minnesota; Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, New Brunswick, New Jersey, USA.|E. Myasoedova, MD, PhD, Division of Rheumatology, Department of Internal Medicine, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science; C.S. Crowson, MS, Division of Rheumatology, Department of Internal Medicine, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science, and Division of Biomedical Statistics and Informatics, Department of Health Sciences Research, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science; E.L. Matteson, MD MPH, Division of Rheumatology, Department of Internal Medicine, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science, and Division of Epidemiology, Department of Health Sciences Research, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science; J.M. Davis III, MD, MS, Division of Rheumatology, Department of Internal Medicine, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science; T.M. Therneau, PhD, Division of Biomedical Statistics and Informatics, Department of Health Sciences Research, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science; S.E. Gabriel, MD, MSc, Division of Epidemiology, Department of Health Sciences Research, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science, and Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School.
authors.forename: Cynthia S
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Crowson
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001172:Arthritis, Rheumatoid / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology*; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000209:etiology / Q000401:mortality*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008910:Minnesota / Q000453:epidemiology; D015996:Survival Rate
keywords: CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE; CORONARY HEART DISEASE; MORTALITY; RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS