[Causes of death in 140 patients with rheumatoid arthritis]

The causes of death in 140 patients (30 male and 110 female) with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) at Kawasaki Municipal Hospital are analyzed. Autopsies were performed in 58%. The causes of death were infection (25.7%), heart disease (20.0%), renal failure (10.7%), cerebrovascular disease (10.0%), and respiratory failure (8.5%). The causes of death in RA patients were compared with those of 243 non-rheumatoid patients. Infection, congestive heart failure, renal failure and respiratory failure were more common causes of death in RA than in the control group. It should be noted that neoplasms are infrequent causes of death in patients with RA. The survival time (onset to death) of RA patients appears to be increasing year by year.