Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41005975›Full record

ArticleRMD open2025

Data-driven identification of subgroups in early rheumatoid arthritis: mortality and cardiovascular disease in a cohort from western Norway.

Christian Lillebø Alsing, Jannicke Igland, Tone Wikene Nystad, Helga Midtbø, Eirik Ikdahl, Halvor Næss, Salman Zarar, Bjørg-Tilde Svanes Fevang

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Article in RMD open, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

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1citing papers in PubMed
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1 · What the graph read from it

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2 · The registry

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3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

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4 · The record

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5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

8 authors.

Christian Lillebø AlsingDepartment of Internal Medicine, Haraldsplass Deaconess Hospital, Bergen, Norway chr.alsing@gmail.com.ORCID 0000-0001-7131-1592
Jannicke IglandDepartment of Global Public Health and Primary Care, University of Bergen, Bergen, Hordaland, Norway.
Tone Wikene NystadDepartment of Rheumatology, Haukeland University Hospital, Bergen, Hordaland, Norway.
Helga MidtbøDepartment of Clinical Science, University of Bergen, Bergen, Hordaland, Norway.
Eirik IkdahlREMEDY Center for treatment of Rheumatic and Musculoskeletal Diseases, Diakonhjemmet Hospital, Oslo, Norway.ORCID 0000-0002-3584-5738
Halvor NæssDepartment of Neurology, Haukeland University Hospital, Bergen, Hordaland, Norway.
Salman ZararDepartment of Rheumatology, Haukeland University Hospital, Bergen, Hordaland, Norway.
Bjørg-Tilde Svanes FevangDepartment of Clinical Science, University of Bergen, Bergen, Hordaland, Norway.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

aimTo identify subgroups of early rheumatoid arthritis (RA) based on comorbidities and RA manifestations and to investigate their associated risks of cardiovascular events and mortality.

methodsWe included patients with incident RA, diagnosed during 2002-2013 and followed through 2022. Latent class analysis was performed using 29 variables (excluding age) to identify subgroups 1 year after RA diagnosis. Risk of major cardiovascular events (4p-MACE), death, acute coronary syndrome and stroke was compared between groups using Cox regression adjusting for age and sex.

resultsFour subgroups were identified in a cohort of 873 patients with early RA: a 'cardiometabolic' group (19%), characterised by a high prevalence of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and diabetes; an 'elderly-onset' group (20%), with a high prevalence of polymyalgia rheumatica, anticitrullinated protein antibodies (ACPAs) negativity and less use of disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs); a 'classic' group (26%) with extensive joint involvement and the highest C reactive protein (CRP) levels and a 'young-onset' group (35%) characterised by ACPA positivity and palindromic arthritis.Compared to the 'young-onset' subgroup, both the 'cardiometabolic' (HR 2.14, 95% CI 1.20 to 3.79) and 'elderly-onset' subgroups (HR 1.89, 95% CI 1.07 to 3.35) had increased MACE risk. However, only the 'cardiometabolic' subgroup had increased mortality risk (HR 1.79, 95% CI 1.12 to 2.87).

conclusionFour distinct subgroups were identified with different clinical profiles and outcomes. This underscores the feasibility of data-driven classification in early RA. The 'cardiometabolic' and 'elderly-onset' subgroups had similarly high MACE risk, but the latter used less DMARDs, antihypertensives and statins, suggesting undertreatment of both RA and CVD risk factors.

Indexed as

Arthritis, RheumatoidCardiovascular DiseasesAdultAgedAntirheumatic AgentsCohort StudiesComorbidityFemaleHumansMaleMiddle AgedNorwayPrevalenceRisk FactorsAntirheumatic AgentsArthritis, RheumatoidCardiovascular DiseasesMachine LearningMortality

Identifiers

PMID41005975
PMCPMC12481256

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.