Causes of death in autopsied RA patients.

Among 3115 autopsied patients, rheumatoid arthritis was registered in 41 patients (1.3%). The causes of death of these were correlated with the causes of death of 310 non-rheumatoid autopsied patients. Of the RA patients, 32% died from cardiovascular disease, 24% from infection, 27% from renal failure and 7% from malignant disease. Of the control patients, 42% died from cardiovascular disease, 9% from infection, 3% from renal failure, and 23% from malignant disease. The low frequency of malignant disease as a cause of death in RA patients may be due to a continuous immunological stimulation or due to a missed diagnosis of RA in patients who died from malignant disease.