Cardiovascular health metrics and all-cause mortality in osteoarthritis, inflammatory arthritis, and unclassified arthritis patients: a national prospective cohort study

Abstract Background Arthritis notably elevates mortality risk. It remains unclear whether the cardiovascular health (CVH) metrics improves the risk of all-cause mortality in patients with all types of arthritis. Methods This study data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey to probe the link between CVH and all-cause mortality among arthritis sufferers in the United States. CVH evaluation employed the Life's Essential 8 metrics. Mortality outcomes were scrutinized using Cox proportional hazard regression models. Additionally, a restricted cubic spline analysis delineated the linear relationship between CVH and mortality. The study also delved into the singular impact of each CVH component on mortality. Results In the cohort of 5919 patients with arthritis, improved CVH was linked to lower all-cause mortality. Specifically, each 10-point increment in CVH score was associated with a substantial decline in all-cause mortality risk [unadjusted hazard ratio (HR): 0.77, 95% Confidence Interval (95% CI): 0.71–0.83, P