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Life Expectancy with Rheumatoid Arthritis in Remission

It is not widely known that rheumatoid arthritis can have an impact on the life expectancy of the patient. Although medical advancements have improved the quality of life for RA patients, the long-term mortality rate has not improved.

  1. Patients vs. General Public

    • While the mortality rate of the general public has declined with the advancements of medical technology, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that RA patients are twice as likely to die than people of the same age who do not have the disease.

    Specialist

    • While some patients may experience feelings of remission from their symptoms, there is no cure for the disease. Wiley InterScience discusses a study by the Mayo Clinic that proves that the mortality rate of patients with rheumatoid arthritis has increased over the last 40 years. They stress the need for more research to determine why this is occurring.

    Percentages

    • The rate of mortality for rheumatoid arthritis sufferers is approximately 38 percent greater than it is for the general population.

    Cardiovascular Deaths

    • Dr. Sherine Gabriel said on MedHeadlines.com that heart-related deaths make up about half of the deaths in RA patients. This would seem to indicate that improvements in cardiovascular treatments that help most people do not offer the same benefit to RA patients.

    Infections

    • Infections are another major cause of death among RA patients. It is estimated that up to 25 percent of deaths among people with RA are due to infection.

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