The incidence of acute exacerbation was nearly one-third in patients with rheumatoid arthritis-associated interstitial lung disease, researchers reported in Chest.
Ever smoking, lower lung function and exercise capacity were identified as risk factors for acute exacerbation in this patient population.
“Determining the incidence, risk factors and effects of acute exacerbation on the prognosis in patients with rheumatoid arthritis-associated ILD remains challenging,” Byoung Soo Kwon, MD, from the division of pulmonary and critical care medicine at Seoul National University Bundang