Editing Rheumatoid arthritis (section)

===Mortality===
RA reduces lifespan on average from three to twelve years.<ref name="Wasserman"/> Young age at onset, long disease duration, the presence of other health problems, and characteristics of severe RA{{snd}}such as poor functional ability or overall health status, a lot of joint damage on x-rays, the need for hospitalisation or involvement of organs other than the joints{{snd}}have been shown to associate with higher mortality.<ref>Kitas, George (4 April 2006) [https://web.archive.org/web/20060924153339/http://www.rheumatoid.org.uk/article.php?article_id=112 Why is life span shortened by Rheumatoid Arthritis?] National Rheumatoid Arthritis Society</ref> Positive responses to treatment may indicate a better prognosis. A 2005 study by the [[Mayo Clinic]] noted that individuals with RA have a doubled risk of heart disease,<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20050306030726/http://mayoclinic.org/news2005-rst/2654.html Rheumatoid Arthritis Patients Have Double the Risk of Heart Failure]. mayoclinic.org (3 February 2005).</ref> independent of other risk factors such as [[diabetes]], [[Alcohol use disorder|excessive alcohol use]], and elevated [[cholesterol]], blood pressure and [[body mass index]]. The mechanism by which RA causes this increased risk remains unknown; the presence of chronic inflammation has been proposed as a contributing factor.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.hopkins-arthritis.org/news-archive/2002/cardiac.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061009112820/http://www.hopkins-arthritis.org/news-archive/2002/cardiac.html |archive-date=October 9, 2006 |title=Cardiac disease in rheumatoid arthritis |publisher=Johns Hopkins University|year=2002}}</ref> It is possible that the use of new biologic drug therapies extend the lifespan of people with RA and reduce the risk and progression of atherosclerosis.<ref name="pmid20678592">{{cite journal | vauthors = Atzeni F, Turiel M, Caporali R, Cavagna L, Tomasoni L, Sitia S, Sarzi-Puttini P | title = The effect of pharmacological therapy on the cardiovascular system of patients with systemic rheumatic diseases | journal = Autoimmunity Reviews | volume = 9 | issue = 12 | pages = 835–839 | date = October 2010 | pmid = 20678592 | doi = 10.1016/j.autrev.2010.07.018 }}</ref> This is based on cohort and registry studies, and still remains hypothetical. It is still uncertain whether biologics improve vascular function in RA or not. There was an increase in total cholesterol and HDLc levels and no improvement of the atherogenic index.<ref name="biologics cv effects/ cancer">{{cite journal | vauthors = Damjanov N, Nurmohamed MT, Szekanecz Z | title = Biologics, cardiovascular effects and cancer | journal = BMC Medicine | volume = 12 | issue = 1 | pages = 48 | date = March 2014 | pmid = 24642038 | pmc = 3984692 | doi = 10.1186/1741-7015-12-48 | doi-access = free }}</ref>