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Mortality rates in children, young people, and young adults with JIA: an observational study using the Clinical

Lianne Kearsley-Fleet1, Natasha Shaw1, Jasmine Leslie1

  • 1Centre for Epidemiology Versus Arthritis, Centre for Musculoskeletal Research, Division of Musculoskeletal and Dermatological Sciences, University of Manchester, Manchester Academic Health Sciences Centre, Manchester, UK.

EULAR Rheumatology Open
|June 29, 2026
PubMed

Insights

Juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) patients have a 3.3 times higher mortality rate compared to controls. While death is rare in JIA, systemic JIA carries a higher risk, especially before 2012.

Area of Science:

  • Rheumatology
  • Pediatric Rheumatology
  • Epidemiology

Background:

  • Rheumatological conditions often correlate with increased mortality.
  • Evidence regarding the impact of juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) on mortality remains conflicting.
  • This study addresses the need for clear data on JIA's effect on patient lifespan.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To determine the all-cause mortality rate in patients diagnosed with juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA).
  • To compare JIA patient mortality against matched controls and general population estimates.
  • To investigate mortality differences between systemic and non-systemic JIA subtypes.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized the UK's Clinical Practice Research Datalink (CPRD) for JIA cases diagnosed before age 16.
  • Matched JIA patients 4-to-1 with non-JIA controls based on birth year, gender, and practice.
  • Employed Cox-proportional hazards models and calculated standardized mortality ratios (SMRs) for comparison.

Main Results:

  • JIA patients exhibited a 3.3 times higher mortality rate (6.2/10,000 person-years) compared to matched controls (1.9/10,000 person-years).
  • Systemic JIA patients faced a 3.3 times higher mortality risk than non-systemic JIA patients.
  • The standardized mortality ratio (SMR) for JIA was 2.9, with 60% of deaths occurring before 2012.

Conclusions:

  • Mortality in young people with JIA is rare, but elevated compared to the general population.
  • Systemic JIA is associated with a significantly higher mortality risk.
  • Improved outcomes, particularly for systemic JIA, may be linked to advancements in biologic treatments post-2012.
Abstract

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