Assessment of interstitial lung disease among black rheumatoid arthritis patients.

BACKGROUND: Conflicting reports exist regarding the racial and the gender distribution of rheumatoid arthritis-related interstitial lung disease (RA-ILD). In a major population study of predominately Whites, RA-ILD was reported mainly among smoker middle-aged men. However, recent data suggest that the disease is that of elderly women. Our study aimed to assess the prevalence and identify the gender differences and clinical characteristics of RA-ILD in a predominantly Black population. METHODS: Cross-sectional analysis of data obtained from the records of 1142 patients with RA diagnosis by ICD codes of which 503 cases met the inclusion criteria for the study. Eighty-six patients had chronic respiratory symptoms of cough and dyspnea and were further assessed by our multidisciplinary group of investigators. Thirty-two subjects with an established diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis met the diagnostic criteria for interstitial lung disease. RESULTS: Of the 32 patients with RA-ILD, mean age was 62.6 ± 2.2 (± SEM), 93.7% were females, and 89% Blacks with a BMI = 29.2 (Kg/m2). Usual interstitial pneumonia (UIP) was found in 24/32 (75%) of the cases. Seventy-two percent of the RA-ILD patient had seropositive RA. Smoking history was reported in 31.3% of the cohort, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) in 32.3%, and cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors in 65.6%. CONCLUSION: Our study indicates RA-ILD among Blacks is predominantly a disease of elderly females with higher rates of GERD and CVD risk factors. Further studies are needed to identify the pathogenetic differences accounting for the gender distribution of RA-ILD among Black and White populations.Key Points• First study to assess ILD among predominantly Black RA patients.• The prevalence of RA-associated ILD was 6.36%, affecting mostly women in their sixth decade with seropositive disease.• COPD was the most common airway disease among non-RA-ILD Black population.• GERD was found in approximately one-third of patients with RA-associated ILD versus one-fifth of those RA patients without any lung disease.

Confounders in Adenoma Detection at Initial Screening Colonoscopy: A Factor in the Assessment of Racial Disparities as a Risk for Colon Cancer.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: The incidence and mortality of colorectal cancer is persistently highest in Black/African-Americans in the United States. While access to care, barriers to screening, and poverty might explain these findings, there is increased interest in examining biological factors that impact the colonic environment. Our group is examining biologic factors that contribute to disparities in development of adenomas prospectively. In preparation for this and to characterize a potential patient population, we conducted a retrospective review of initial screening colonoscopies in a cohort of patients. METHODS: A retrospective review was performed on initial average risk screening colonoscopies on patients (age 45-75 years) during 2012 at three institutions. Descriptive statistics and multivariable logistic regression models were used to examine the relationship between potential risk factors and the detection of adenomas. RESULTS: Of the 2225 initial screening colonoscopies 1495 (67.2%) were performed on Black/African-Americans and 566 (25.4%) on Caucasians. Multivariable logistic regression revealed that older age, male sex, current smoking and teaching gastroenterologists were associated with higher detection of adenomas and these were less prevalent among Black/African-Americas except for age. Neither race, ethnicity, BMI, diabetes mellitus, HIV nor insurance were associated with adenoma detection. CONCLUSION: In this sample, there was no association between race and adenoma detection. While this may be due to a lower prevalence of risk factors for adenomas in this sample, our findings were confounded by a lower detection rate by consultant gastroenterologists at one institution. The study allowed us to rectify the problem and characterize patients for future trials.

Assessment of Cardiovascular Disease Risk and Therapeutic Patterns among Urban Black Rheumatoid Arthritis Patients.

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients have nearly twice the risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) compared to the general population. We aimed to assess, in a predominantly Black population, the prevalence of traditional and RA-specific CVD risk factors and therapeutic patterns. Utilizing ICD codes, we identified 503 RA patients ≥18 years old who were seen from 2010 to 2017. Of them, 88.5% were Black, 87.9% were women and 29.4% were smokers. CVD risk factors (obesity, diabetes, hypertension, dyslipidemia) were higher than in previously reported White RA cohorts. Eighty-seven percent of the patients had at least one traditional CVD risk factor, 37% had three or more traditional CVD risk factors and 58% had RA-specific risk factors (seropositive RA, >10 years of disease, joint erosions, elevated inflammatory markers, extra-articular disease, body mass index (BMI) < 20). CV outcomes (coronary artery disease/myocardial infarction, heart failure, atrial fibrillation and stroke) were comparable to published reports. Higher steroid use, which increases CVD risk, and lesser utilization of biologics (decrease CV risk) were also observed. Our Black RA cohort had higher rates of traditional CVD risk factors, in addition to chronic inflammation from aggressive RA, which places our patients at a higher risk for CVD outcomes, calling for revised risk stratification strategies and effective interventions to address comorbidities in this vulnerable population.