| Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is not just a joint disease. It is | | | | symptoms of RA can also impair kidney function. |
| a systemic illness which can kill. Studies have shown | | | | Patients with RA are also at increased risk for |
| that RA has a significant mortality attached to it. | | | | developing lymphoma. |
| Consider this: In the mid to late 1980's, a middle-aged | | | | The disability that occurs with poorly treated RA is in |
| man with RA could expect to have the same life | | | | itself a cause of increased mortality. |
| expectancy as if he had non-Hodgkins lymphoma or | | | | The major discovery though has been the observation |
| triple-vessel coronary artery disease. | | | | that RA patients are at markedly increased risk for |
| While these sobering statistics have changed | | | | developing significant early cardiovascular disease. |
| somewhat for the better, the mortality picture for | | | | Early cardiovascular mortality appears now to be the |
| patients with RA is still not rosy. | | | | most significant factor leading to the shortened lifespan |
| Why does this increased mortality occur? Because it is | | | | seen in patients with RA. |
| a systemic disease, RA can lead to complications. One | | | | Why this occurs is still not clear. The major contributing |
| such complication is vasculitis (inflammation of blood | | | | factor appears to be the chronic inflammation |
| vessels). In inflammation of blood vessels occurs in a | | | | associated with inadequately controlled RA. It is a |
| major organ such as the brain or heart, a significant | | | | subject of intense research now to see whether the |
| problem can occur. Inflammation of the eyes can lead | | | | more aggressive treatments that are being used will |
| to blindness. And RA involvement of the spine- | | | | lower mortality by suppressing disease activity. |
| particularly in the neck- can cause compression of the | | | | Patients with RA who have other cardiovascular risk |
| spinal cord. RA patients may develop significant lung | | | | factors such as elevated blood lipids, hypertension, |
| disease with progressive interstitial problems leading to | | | | cigarette smoking, etc. should be evaluated carefully. |
| end-stage lung function. | | | | These other risk factors must be controlled or |
| Unfortunately, some of the medicines used to treat the | | | | removed. |