ABSTRACT
Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is being increasingly recognized as an important contributor to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Although smoking is a major risk factor, other factors may play a role. We used National Inpatient Sample (NIS) from 2013 to explore this relationship. We used propensity matching with a 1:3 nearest-neighbor-matching algorithm to match 1 RA hospitalization to 3 age- and-sex-matched comparators. In the age- and-sex-matched population, RA had a higher odds of COPD (OR 1.20, 95% CI: 1.17–1.22, p < 0.0001).
RA is associated with increased COPD prevalence, independent of smoking. COPD might fall within the spectrum of RA complications, likely due to autoimmune and inflammatory mechanisms.
Disclosure statement
No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.