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Multimorbidity in Rheumatoid Arthritis: Literature Review and Future Directions

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Abstract

Purpose of Review

To offer a narrative review of literature and an update on rheumatoid arthritis (RA) multimorbidity research over the past five years as well as future directions.

Recent Findings

Patients with RA experience higher prevalence of multimorbidity (31–86% vs 18–71% in non-RA) and faster accumulation of comorbidities. Patients with multimorbidity have worse outcomes compared to non-RA multimorbid patients and RA without multimorbidity including mortality, cardiac events, and hospitalizations. Comorbid disease clusters often included: cardiopulmonary, cardiometabolic, and depression and pain-related conditions. High-frequency comorbidities included interstitial lung disease, asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, cardiovascular disease, fibromyalgia, osteoarthritis, and osteoporosis, thyroid disorders, hypertension, and cancer. Furthermore, patients with RA and multimorbidity are paradoxically at increased risk of high RA disease activity but experience a lower likelihood of biologic use and more biologic failures.

Summary

RA patients experience higher prevalence of multimorbidity and worse outcomes versus non-RA and RA without multimorbidity. Findings call for further studies.

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Papers of particular interest, published recently, have been highlighted as: • Of importance •• Of major importance

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Funding

Supported by the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Medicine and Public Health’s Institute for Clinical and Translational Research (NIH-CTSA Award 1UL1TR002373).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Medicine, Rheumatology Division, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, 1685 Highland Ave #4132, Madison, WI, 53705, USA

    Jonathan Katz & Christie M. Bartels

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  1. Jonathan Katz
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Contributions

C.B. and J.K. contributed equally to this review.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Christie M. Bartels.

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The authors declare no competing interests.

Conflict of Interest

Dr. Bartels has received institutional peer-reviewed grant funding from Independent Grants for Learning and Change (Pfizer) for unbranded tobacco cessation work. No other disclosures reported.

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This article does not contain any studies with human or animal subjects performed by any of the authors.

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Katz, J., Bartels, C.M. Multimorbidity in Rheumatoid Arthritis: Literature Review and Future Directions. Curr Rheumatol Rep 26, 24–35 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11926-023-01121-w

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