Mortality rates and causes of death in Swedish Myasthenia Gravis patients

Abstract

Myasthenia Gravis (MG) is an autoimmune disease with several comorbidities, however information on MG mortality remains sparse. We conducted a nationwide register-based study on mortality rates and causes of death among Swedish MG patients. Data was acquired from four Swedish National Board of Health and Welfare registers. A total of 4559 MG patients (2522 women, 55.3%) being alive entering the year 2006, were identified. 1121 patients (562 women, 50.1%) died during 2006-2016. Age-and gender-standardized mortality rate was 1.51 (95% CI 0.40) per 100 patients and did not differ from the Swedish general population. Time from MG diagnosis to death was 8.9 ± 6.8 years. The most common ultimate cause of death was cancer (19.5%), followed by ischemic heart disease (13.3%) and MG (11.3%). When MG was stated as the ultimate cause of death, there was a strikingly higher likelihood of having influenza/pneumonia as a contributing cause of death (OR 2.5, p < 0.0001). In conclusion, although we could not confirm a higher mortality rate in Swedish MG patients compared to the general population, and despite modern advancements in treatment, we observed that MG itself was stated as the third most common ultimate cause of death in Swedish MG patients.

Clinical characteristics and outcomes of thymoma‐associated myasthenia gravis

“…Mortality in our sample was similar to that reported in most recent studies [23]. Overall mortality was higher in thymomatous patients.…”

Characteristics of cause of death and triggers for crisis in patients with myasthenia gravis

“…Among Swedish MG patients in a nationwide register-based cohort study, the most common cause of death was cancer, 1 which agreed with the results of our study.…”

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The common causes of death in myasthenia gravis (MG) patients were raised as cancer, cardiovascular diseases, cerebrovascular diseases, and respiratory tract infections such as pneumonia. [1][2][3] Crisis in patients with MG is defined as the need to intubate patients to provide ventilatory support or airway protection. 4 Crisis is caused by myasthenic, cholinergic, or prolonged intubation after surgery.

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To Be or Not To Be Vaccinated: That Is a Question in Myasthenia Gravis

“…The antibody response in MG is not different from that in healthy subjects, even in those with IST except RTX (70). Study evaluating the cause of death in Swedish MG patients reveals influenza/pneumonia is a striking contributor (88). A 10year longitudinal study found a significant 48% reduction in mortality and a 27% reduction in hospital admissions after influenza vaccination in AIID patients (89).…”