Background/Purpose: Ischemic heart disease (IHD) is one of the leading causes of death in the United States. Rheumatoid arthritis (RA), a chronic inflammatory condition affecting multiple joints, is associated with an increased risk of developing IHD. Both the diseases have been shown to independently affect mortality rates in adults in a significant way. The purpose of this study was to assess the trends in mortality from IHD and underlying seropositive RA among adults of all ages in the United States.

Methods: This study used records from the CDC WONDER (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Wide-ranging Online Data for Epidemiologic Research) database, which were analyzed from 1999-2020 for IHD and seropositive RA-related mortality in adults. Age-adjusted mortality rates (AAMRs) per 100,000 persons were calculated and stratified by sex, race/ethnicity, and geographic region.

Results: A total of 9,103,610 deaths were identified over the past 20 years in patients with IHD and seropositive RA. Males were more affected than females with higher AAMR of 205.6 (205.4-205.8, CI 95%) versus 118.6 (118.4-118.7, CI 95%). Regarding race, Blacks had the highest AAMR of 180.1 (179.7-180.5, CI 95%), followed by Whites (157), American Indians (108.3) and then Asians (85.2). Region wise, the highest AAMR was seen in the Northeast (169.2; 168.9-169.4, CI 95%), followed by the Midwest (158.7), South (158) and finally the West (139.2).

Conclusion: Males were significantly more affected than females. Blacks were disproportionately affected, and those residing in the Northeast region of the United States were affected more. Targeted strategies are needed to curb the elevated mortality rates seen among males and black individuals.

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ACR Meeting Abstracts - https://acrabstracts.org/abstract/worrisome-mortality-trends-over-20-years-among-patients-with-underlying-ischemic-heart-disease-and-rheumatoid-arthritis/