12 Responses to “Mortality and Rheumatoid Arthritis”
Rheumatoid Arthritis Warrior
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I wonder if the heart issues are related to the constant use of NSAIDs? I've been taking Celebrex since it first came on the market. Kinda scary and yes, depressing.
I wonder if the use of biologics and DMARDS as aggressively as they have been uses lately are part of this cause. It is now usually standard to attack RA aggressively at the early stages, but yet the mortality rate is no better, in fact worse??? Hm!!!
Yea, we definately have not found the answer yet.
These studies look back over 40 years, so it's likely not the new drugs to blame.
Jenny: I am pretty sure that "regular" heart patients use NSAIDs a lot too.
Jamie: It's not that our mortality rate is worse; but that of the general population is improving and ours is not – so the gap widens.
It's eye-opening for me, because I never think of myself in terms of heart disease. Still have that childlike feeling: that could never happen to me.
Heart disease usually signals swelling or inflammation. Could it be the same cause of our joint swelling might also be the actual cause of heart disease? There could be a link between heart disease and RA which could mean the cure for both could be a result from both. Where is all the money being spent for cures or preventions? Just a case in point, I have RA and high cholestrol= inflammation indicators!
I don’t mean to sound morbid, but when it’s your time to go … it’s your time to go. I don’t think RA, or any disease, can alter a person’s time on earth. It can and does influence quality of life, but — by faith — I do not accept that it has the ability to shorten my life. That said, I am focusing on my treatment, eating healthier, etc. I am focused on my “quality” of life. I don’t know how long I have, only God knows that, but I want to be able to enjoy every minute to its fullest. That’s what “Living” is all about!
Sometimes, I see RA’ers debate quantity & quality of life. Whichever one someone picks, it seems that fighting the disease is still the best bet.
This post was a report about the current state of affairs. It’s been a goal of researchers to find ways to help those with RA live longer. They have not had much success yet.
I do believe in God’s sovereignty. My days are in his hands. I know he gives medicine & science the ability to heal & I’d love to live longer than my grandfather that had RA did.
Hi Kelly Thanks for your reply to my methotrexate queries Seems like after looking at the all the comments there is more for it than against Mt daughter works in a chemist and she said all the peop;le who are on their prescription lists for metho are doing very well none hav had any bad symptoms and shes very glad im on it Surely if it has anti inflammatory effects then it must help the circulatory system excess fluid affects the heart soive convinced myself that with healthy living and the right attitude I stand a pretty good chance of at least making 80ish and as im nearly 70 thatll do for me Think Positive guys it helps!!!
Hi Marion,
Way to go – a good attitude can only help. Your daughter is correct – severe side effects are rare and mtx does much good for most who use it. Unfortunately, there is much bad press on the matter. I hope it does help you to fight RA inflammation and live to 100.
Over the course of having RA for 25 years, I have seen several rheumatologists. Not one of them has ever asked me about my family history of cardiovascular disease. Not one of them has suggested or done any evaluations for cardiovascular disease. I have been seen at major teaching medical centers so, I don’t think that it is just the quality of physicians I have seen. I think they are just not trained to focus on this aspect of our care, even though it is well documented to be the leading cause of death for RA patients. If no one is monitoring for this disease process occurring concurrent with RA, it follows that we are not receiving treatment for this complication until it is too late. We as patients and our physicians can get so focused on what is happening with our joints and our pain that we forget to broaden our lens and see there are more things going on.
For me, it is so overwhelming just to deal with what I have to, that adding another problem to the list is too much. But in this case, I’m not sure ignorance really is bliss.
You have hit on an important point, Joy. I have been working on a blog related to this. True, I’m mostly over-whelmed too but the heart disease & osteoporosis that we are almost guaranteed to have need to be treated. According to what I’ve read, the cardiac disease of RA is not the same as other cvd, but we should still try.
I can remember since I was 14 having heart palpatations getting dizzy, fainting, seeing stars and having doctors laugh at me and ask me which stars are you seeing. Laughing all the time. I grew up with weak ankles and tired all of the time. Doctors told my mom that I was anemic. I would get cold sores when or just before I would get sick. I had all the childhood problems. I got married had four daughters and all through this I caught plursery, pnemiona, and cronic colds and heart palpatations and when I was 26 they started to listen to me and I was diagonised with several things and given meds that didn’t help and would take myself off and hear from the doctors what an ingreatful pateint I was. Mean things said on my chart. I finally went to a naturalpath and he found in that one visit that I had RA. He told me to go back to my cardioligist tell him to send me to a RA specilists. I did this and then was told it would be not until July 26th and this was April 4th. I let it ride but contacted the naturalpath and then before I hung up the RA office called me and within the next week I was in. I am now doing clinical research. During this time of waiting I did Bromelin, Turmeic, Catsclaw, fish oil (liquid) and ibprofen (lots) then took myself down to 1200 mg aday.
Good luck with the clinical trial Margie. I’d love to hear how that goes.