ACR Meeting Abstracts

ACR Meeting Abstracts

Abstract Number: 1328

Mortality Trends of Hypertension in Patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis in the United States (1999–2020)

Rameez Qasim1, Khadija Mohib2, Muhammad Ali3, Umm E Aimen Minhas4, Abu-bakr Ahmed5 and Areeba Minhaj6, 1Allama Iqbal Medical College Lahore, Lahore, Pakistan, 2Kirk Kerkorian School of Medicine at UNLV, Las Vegas, NV, 3Dow International Medical College, Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan, 4Allama Iqbal Medical College, Lahore, Pakistan, 5Kirk Kerkorian School of Medicine, Las Vegas, NV, 6University of South Dakota, sioux falls, SD

Meeting: ACR Convergence 2025

Keywords: ,

Session Information

Date: Monday, October 27, 2025

Title: (1306–1346) Rheumatoid Arthritis – Diagnosis, Manifestations, and Outcomes Poster II

Session Type: Poster Session B

Session Time: 10:30AM-12:30PM

Background/Purpose: Hypertension is highly prevalent among patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and significantly increases the risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD). Despite this established relationship, there is limited data on long-term mortality trends related to hypertension in patients with RA in the United States.

Methods: We used the CDC WONDER database to analyze mortality data from 1999 to 2020. Individuals aged 25 years and older who died with both hypertension and RA were identified using ICD codes I10–I15 (hypertension) and M06, M08.0 (rheumatoid arthritis). Age-adjusted mortality rates (AAMR) per 100,000 population were calculated. Joinpoint regression analysis was used to determine Average Annual Percent Change (AAPC), with statistical significance assessed via p-values. Mortality trends were stratified by gender, race/ethnicity, U.S. Census region, and urbanization level.

Results: Between 1999 and 2020, the age-adjusted mortality rate for individuals with both hypertension and RA increased from 3.9 to 14.0 per 100,000 population, with total deaths reaching 3,793 in 2020. Female mortality rates rose more sharply than male rates (AAMR 5.2 to 18.2 vs. 3.7 to 8.3), with AAPCs of -6.9 (95% CI: -7.3 to -6.6) and -6.3 (95% CI: -6.7 to -5.8), respectively. Nonmetropolitan areas had consistently higher mortality rates compared to metropolitan areas, increasing from an AAMR of 5.0 to 17.4 versus 3.7 to 13.4 (AAPC -6.3 vs. -7.0). Regionally, the South had the highest mortality rate in 2020 (AAMR 12.4), while the Northeast had the lowest (AAMR 8.9). Among racial and ethnic groups, Black or African American individuals had the highest mortality (AAMR 15.6; AAPC -6.7), followed by Hispanics or Latinos (AAMR 16.4; AAPC -8.2) and Whites (AAMR 10.4; AAPC -6.5). Mortality increased notably in adults aged 75 and older in 2020, likely influenced by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Conclusion: Hypertension-related mortality in patients with rheumatoid arthritis has risen significantly over the past two decades, with notable disparities across gender, geographic regions, racial and ethnic groups, and urbanization status. These findings underscore the need for targeted interventions and improved cardiovascular risk management strategies in this high-risk population.

Disclosures: R. Qasim: None; K. Mohib: None; M. Ali: None; U. Minhas: None; A. Ahmed: None; A. Minhaj: None.

To cite this abstract in AMA style:

Qasim R, Mohib K, Ali M, Minhas U, Ahmed A, Minhaj A. Mortality Trends of Hypertension in Patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis in the United States (1999–2020) [abstract]. Arthritis Rheumatol. 2025; 77 (suppl 9). https://acrabstracts.org/abstract/mortality-trends-of-hypertension-in-patients-with-rheumatoid-arthritis-in-the-united-states-1999-2020/. Accessed .

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