Bidirectional association found between rheumatoid arthritis, COPD

There is a bidirectional association between rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), according to a review published online Dec. 1 in Frontiers in Immunology.

Meijiao Wang, from the Zhejiang Chinese Medical University in Hangzhou, and colleagues examined the bidirectional association between RA and COPD in a systematic review of the literature. Data were included from 19 studies with 1,549,181 participants.

The researchers found that the risk for bias varied from low to moderate, while evidence levels were rated low or very low. A significant association was seen between RA and increased COPD risk (odds ratio, 1.41) in a pooled analysis. In subgroup analyses, COPD risk elevations were similar in men and women, seropositive/seronegative RA, and cohort and case-control studies. In addition, individuals with COPD had an increased risk for RA (odds ratio, 1.36); in particular, this finding was seen among women and seropositive RA and in cohort studies.

“This meta-analysis indicates a significant bidirectional association between RA and COPD across the included studies,” the authors write. “Early detection of both conditions may be vital for initiating effective treatments and improving long-term outcomes.”

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