Could accelerated aging explain the excess mortality in patients with seropositive rheumatoid arthritis?
OBJECTIVE: To determine whether the mortality pattern in patients with seropositive rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is consistent with the concept of accelerated aging, by comparing the observed mortality rates in patients with RA with the age-accelerated mortality rates from the general population. METHODS: A population-based inception cohort of patients with seropositive RA (according to the American College of Rheumatology 1987 criteria) was assembled and followed up for vital status until July 1, 2008. The expected mortality rate was obtained by applying the death rates from the general population to the age, sex, and calendar year distribution of the RA population. The observed mortality was estimated using Kaplan-Meier methods. Acceleration factors for the expected mortality were estimated in accelerated failure time models. RESULTS: A total of 755 patients with seropositive RA (mean age 55.6 years, 69% women) were followed up for a mean of 12.5 years, during which 315 patients died. T
