The Multimorbidity Web in rheumatoid arthritis

Area of Science:

• Rheumatology
• Internal Medicine
• Public Health

Background:

• Multimorbidity, the presence of multiple chronic conditions, is common in rheumatoid arthritis (RA).
• The interconnectedness of conditions in multimorbidity forms a 'Multimorbidity Web'.
• Key patterns include cardiopulmonary, cardiometabolic, and mental health/chronic pain clusters.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe unique multimorbidity patterns in RA patients.
• To highlight the severe consequences of multimorbidity in RA.
• To emphasize the need for effective management and prevention strategies.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of recent studies identifying multimorbidity patterns in RA.
• Elucidation of the 'Multimorbidity Web' specific to RA.
• Review of consequences and current management approaches.

Main Results:

• Identified primary multimorbidity patterns: cardiopulmonary, cardiometabolic, and mental health/chronic pain.
• Documented devastating consequences: reduced quality of life, physical function, survival, and treatment response.
• Highlighted that management and prevention strategies are in early development.

Conclusions:

• Multimorbidity significantly affects RA patients, impacting multiple health domains.
• Effective assessment, intervention, and prevention strategies for RA multimorbidity are critically needed.
• Optimizing long-term outcomes requires addressing the Multimorbidity Web in RA.