Vu M, Carvalho N, Clarke PM, et al. - In patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). comorbid conditions were correlated with higher annual healthcare expenditure, lower likelihood of employment, higher rates of absenteeism, and lower-income. Compared with other common comorbid conditions, despite its low prevalence, heart failure (HF) was correlated with the highest incremental healthcare expenditure and the lowest likelihood of being employed.

• Between 2006 and 2015, researchers designed a retrospective analysis of the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey in 4,967 adults with RA in the United States.

• The results showed that individuals with RA with heart failure had the highest incremental annual healthcare expenditure (US$8205, 95% CI $3683–$12,726) in comparison with those without the condition.

• The outcomes showed that many comorbid conditions including hypertension (HTN), diabetes, depression, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, cancer, stroke, and HF decreased the chance of patients with RA aged between 18–64 years being employed.

• HTN, depression, disorders of the eye and adnexa, or stroke significantly affect absenteeism of employed patients with RA.

• Compared with RA patients without HF, on average, RA patients with HF earned US$15,833 (95% CI $4435–$27,231) per year less.