Prednisone increases pneumonia risk in rheumatoid arthritis patients. - GreenMedInfo Summary
Treatment for rheumatoid arthritis and the risk of hospitalization for pneumonia: associations with prednisone, disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs, and anti-tumor necrosis factor therapy.
Arthritis Rheum. 2006 Feb;54(2):628-34. PMID: 16447241
National Data Bank for Rheumatic Diseases and University of Kansas School of Medicine, Wichita, Kansas 67214, USA. [email protected]
OBJECTIVE: Pneumonia is a major cause of mortality and morbidity in rheumatoid arthritis (RA). This study was undertaken to determine the rate and predictors of hospitalization for pneumonia and the extent to which specific RA treatments increase pneumonia risk. METHODS: RA patients (n = 16,788) were assessed semiannually for 3.5 years. Pneumonia was confirmed by medical records or detailed patient interview. Covariates included RA severity measures, diabetes, pulmonary disease, and myocardial infarction. Cox proportional hazards regression was used to determine the multivariable risk associated with RA treatments. RESULTS: After adjustment for covariates, prednisone use increased the risk of pneumonia hospitalization (hazard ratio [HR] 1.7 [95% confidence interval 1.5-2.0]), including a dose-related increase in risk (