End-stage renal disease in patients with rheumatoid arthritis

Sunita Paudyal, Frances M. Yang, Christopher Rice, Chen Chun Chen, Michael Skelton, Monique Bethel, Shilpa Brown, Norris Stanley Nahman, Laura Carbone

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

14 Scopus citations

Abstract

Objectives To determine the frequency of end-stage renal disease (ESRD) in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), the causes of ESRD, and the treatment of RA in the setting of ESRD. Methods Cross-sectional study of RA (N = 3754) and non-RA (N = 326,776) patients in the United States Renal Data System (USRDS) during 2011 (N = 330,530). The epidemiology of ESRD in RA was determined and the etiology of ESRD in patients with and without RA was compared. The frequency of patients with RA with at least one filled prescription for prednisone/prednisolone, a DMARD, and/or a biologic in 2011 was determined. Results The prevalence of RA with ESRD in the USRDS in 2011 was 1.1%. There were significant differences in age, race, sex, and BMI category between the groups (p < 0.01). Diabetes (33.5%) and hypertension (30.6%) were the most common primary causes of ESRD in patients with RA. Amyloidosis, vasculitis, and analgesic nephropathy combined accounted for less than 10% of cases of ESRD. Prednisone was the most commonly filled medication that could be used to treat RA (45.9% of RA patients). Hydroxychloroquine was the most frequently filled DMARD (13.5%); biologics were uncommon (etanercept 2.5%, adalimumab 1.5%; golimumab, infliximab, anakinra, and abatacept <1%). Conclusions The co-occurrence of RA with ESRD was 1.1% in the USRDS by 2011. Physicians should be aware of the critical impact of the comorbidities of diabetes and hypertension in causing ESRD in RA patients. Use of DMARDS other than hydroxychloroquine and biologics to treat RA in the setting of ESRD appears to be infrequent. Further prospective studies of treatment strategies for RA in ESRD are needed.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)418-422
Number of pages5
JournalSeminars in Arthritis and Rheumatism
Volume46
Issue number4
DOIs
StatePublished - Feb 1 2017

Keywords

  • Biologics
  • DMARDs
  • End-stage renal disease
  • Prednisone
  • Rheumatoid arthritis

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Rheumatology
  • Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine

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