Risk of heart failure in patients with immune-mediated inflammatory diseases: a population-based study

Objective — To evaluate the risk of heart failure (HF) in patients with immune-mediated inflammatory diseases (IMIDs) compared to the general population with and without diabetes mellitus (DM).

Methods — A population-based cohort study was conducted in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), radiographic axial spondyloarthritis (r-axSpA), psoriatic arthritis, and psoriasis (PsO) in Ontario from 2011 until 2019. The study outcome was first hospitalization for HF. Incidence rates of HF were calculated for each cohort. Hazard ratios (HRs) for HF were calculated using Cox proportional hazard models. The etiology of HF was descriptively classified into mutually exclusive groups based on comorbidities during HF hospitalization.

Results — A total of 243,061 patients with IMID, 748,517 with DM, and 8,278,934 non-IMID, non-DM controls were analyzed. The crude incidence rate for HF in IMID was 2.70 per 1000 person-years, with the highest rate in RA and lowest in r-axSpA. The risk of being hospitalized for HF was higher in IMID compared with non-IMID comparators (HR 1.34, 95% CI 1.30-1.38). This risk was highest among patients with RA (HR 1.61, 95% CI 1.54-1.68) and lowest in PsO (HR 1.09, 95% CI 1.03-1.15). In comparison, the risk of HF hospitalization in patients with DM was higher (HR 2.19, 95% CI 2.16-2.21). The most common antecedent comorbidity associated with HF in all patients with IMID was ischemic heart disease. In patients with IMID without DM, atrial fibrillation had a similar effect as ischemic heart disease.

Conclusion — The risk of HF hospitalization is increased in patients with IMID compared to the general population.