Symmons D P
Br J Rheumatol. 1988;27 Suppl 1:44-54.
Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is often regarded as a non-fatal disease. Yet patients with RA have a substantially reduced life expectancy. Increased mortality in RA is associated with a long disease duration, with severe disabling arthritis and with systemic involvement. Patients with chronic RA are particularly at risk of death from bacterial infection and renal disease. The influence of treatment on mortality remains unclear. In patients with mild RA, the treatments may be more toxic than the disease.
类风湿关节炎（RA）通常被视为一种非致命性疾病。然而，类风湿关节炎患者的预期寿命大幅缩短。类风湿关节炎患者死亡率增加与疾病持续时间长、严重致残性关节炎以及全身受累有关。慢性类风湿关节炎患者尤其有死于细菌感染和肾脏疾病的风险。治疗对死亡率的影响仍不清楚。在轻度类风湿关节炎患者中，治疗可能比疾病本身毒性更大。
