QJM : monthly journal of the Association of Physicians
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The role of autoimmune pathology in development and progression of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is becoming increasingly popular. Our aim was to assess the association between patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and subsequent COPD risk in a nationwide population. ⋯ Patients with RA have a significantly higher risk of developing COPD than that of the control population. Further, age-related risk analysis indicated much higher adjusted HR in younger patients although COPD incidence increased with age. It can be hypothesized that in addition to cigarette smoke, RA may be a determining factor for COPD incidence and/or facilitates shortening of the time course for developing COPD. However, further investigation is needed to corroborate this hypothesis.
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Anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibody (ANCA)-associated vasculitides (AAV) can lead to end-stage renal disease in patients with renal involvement. ⋯ Survival of AAV patients in chronic dialysis, although poor, was comparable to survival of non-AAV controls on dialysis. There was a similar burden of cardiovascular mortality, but higher infectious mortality.