Duration of rheumatoid arthritis and the risk of developing interstitial lung disease
Michael P. Mohning, Isabelle Amigues, M. Kristen Demoruelle, Evans R. Fernández Pérez, Tristan J. Huie, R. Keith, Amy L. Olson, Zulma X. Yunt, Jonathan H. Chung, Stephen Hobbs, Jeffrey J. Swigris, Joshua J. Solomon
Abstract
Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disease that classically presents as a symmetrical inflammatory polyarthritis. Extra-articular manifestations are prevalent, with the lungs being the most common site [1], and interstitial lung disease (ILD) being the most severe form of pulmonary involvement. In some studies, the median survival of patients with rheumatoid arthritis and a usual interstitial pneumonia (UIP) pattern on high-resolution computed tomography (HRCT) is around 3 years (similar to that in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) [2, 3]); however, in other studies, median survival is >7 years [4, 5]. When present, ILD accounts for 10–20% of all deaths in rheumatoid arthritis [6]. Age of ILD onset is similar in patients with RA-UIP and RA-NSIP but duration of RA before ILD onset differs <https://bit.ly/3lgjfDJ>