Rheumatoid arthritis a potential risk factor for COPD

People with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) are at increased risk of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), with the risk even greater for those with seropositivity, according to a study.

Researchers used data from the Korean National Health Insurance Database and identified 46,030 patients with RA. Of these patients, 32,608 had seropositive RA and 13,422 had seronegative RA. A control group of 230,150 matched individuals without RA was established.

The incidence rate of COPD was higher in the RA group than in the control group (5.04 vs 2.23 per 1,000 person-years). In multivariate Cox proportional hazard models, the risk of developing COPD increased by twofold in the presence of RA (adjusted hazard ratio [aHR], 2.11, 95 percent confidence interval [CI], 1.96–2.28).

The association between RA and COPD risk was consistently observed among patients with seropositive RA and those with seronegative RA, although seropositivity was associated with a greater risk increase (aHR, 1.26, 95 percent CI, 1.09–1.46).

In subgroup analyses, smoking history did not significantly alter the association between RA and COPD risk.

In light of the findings, the investigators stressed that physicians monitor respiratory symptoms and pulmonary function carefully in patients with RA.