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People who have arthritis and also have COPD have a significantly higher risk of death than those without the respiratory disease, according to a new study. In fact, people with arthritis and COPD are 41% more likely to die from any cause compared to patients who only have arthritis, the authors said. Even more, those with both ailments also have a 29% higher risk of heart-related death, the findings showed.
The report was published in the January 2025 edition of the Journal of the COPD Foundation. For the study, researchers analyzed data on more than 11,298 participants from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 1999– 2018. All of the people self-reported having arthritis. These included 1,795 people with COPD and 9,503 who didn’t have COPD.
Over the course of an average 8.8-year follow-up period, the investigators noted a significant link between COPD and increased death rates in those who had arthritis.
Previous evidence has indicated there is a link between COPD and arthritis. Inflammation, lifestyle risks and genetics play a part in both diseases, the researchers pointed out.
“These results highlight the importance of COPD screening, particularly in people with arthritis,” Chengfeng Fu, one of the researchers and a pulmonologist at the Second People’s Hospital of Banan District, Chongqing, Chinas, said in a news release.
“Screening and earlier diagnosis of COPD would enable health care professionals to help people manage their diseases more effectively and increase their quality of life,” added Fu.
This study represents the “inaugural investigation into the association between COPD and mortality rates among adult arthritis participants in the United States,” the researchers wrote in their report.