Mortality is low for the majority of individuals with sarcoidosis

What is it about?

Sarcoidosis is a systemic granulomatous disease of unknown etiology. There is great heterogeneity in terms of the presentation and severity of symptoms, the affected organs, and the patient outcomes. In this analysis covering patients from all over Sweden, we have show that individuals with sarcoidosis were, in general, at higher risk for premature death (compared to the general population). The likelihood of premature death, however, is more than twofold increased in a small group of individuals (about a third of all patients) who were prescribed sarcoidosis-related treatments at the time of diagnosis likely because of the severity of their symptoms. Patients without severe disease (as measured at diagnosis) have an almost similar life expectancy as the general population.

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Why is it important?

This is the first study utilizing population-based data to study sarcoidosis mortality in recent times. We have shown that there is a vulnerable group of sarcoidosis patients, with severe disease at the time of diagnosis, that has potentially worse outcomes than the rest of the population. Future research should focus on improving the outcomes of this group of patients.

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