RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Comorbidities in Patients with Antineutrophil Cytoplasmic Antibody-associated Vasculitis versus the General Population
JF The Journal of Rheumatology
JO J Rheumatol
FD The Journal of Rheumatology
SP 1553
OP 1558
DO 10.3899/jrheum.151151
VO 43
IS 8
A1 Martin Englund
A1 Peter A. Merkel
A1 Gunnar Tomasson
A1 Mårten Segelmark
A1 Aladdin J. Mohammad
YR 2016
UL http://www.jrheum.org/content/43/8/1553.abstract
AB Objective. To evaluate the consultation rates of selected comorbidities in patients with antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody–associated vasculitis (AAV) compared with the general population in southern Sweden.Methods. We used data from a population-based cohort of patients with AAV diagnosed between 1998 and 2010 in Southern Sweden (701,000 inhabitants). For each patient we identified 4 reference subjects randomly sampled from the general population and matched for year of birth, sex, area of residence, and index year. Using the population-based Skåne Healthcare Register, we identified relevant diagnostic codes, registered between 1998 and 2011, for selected comorbidities assigned after the date of diagnosis of AAV or the index date for the reference subjects. We calculated rate ratios for comorbidities (AAV:reference subjects).Results. There were 186 patients with AAV (95 women, mean age 64.5 yrs) and 744 reference persons included in the analysis. The highest rate ratios (AAV:reference) were obtained for osteoporosis (4.6, 95% CI 3.0–7.0), followed by venous thromboembolism (4.0, 95% CI 1.9–8.3), thyroid diseases (2.1, 95% CI 1.3–3.3), and diabetes mellitus (2.0, 95% CI 1.3–2.9). For ischemic heart disease, the rate ratio of 1.5 (95% CI 1.0–2.3) did not reach statistical significance. No statistically significant differences were found for cerebrovascular accidents.Conclusion. AAV is associated with increased consultation rates of several comorbidities including osteoporosis and thromboembolic and endocrine disorders. Comorbid conditions should be taken into consideration when planning and providing care for patients with AAV.