Does Initial Progression of SSc-ILD Mean More Is to Come?

TOPLINE:

Interstitial lung disease (ILD) progression in patients with systemic sclerosis–associated ILD (SSc-ILD) did not predict subsequent progression at the next annual follow-up, with only 20% showing further progression. However, initial ILD progression was associated with an increased risk for mortality.

METHODOLOGY:

Researchers conducted a multicenter observational study to evaluate whether an observed progression of ILD in patients with SSc-ILD leads to a risk for subsequent progression.

They included 231 patients with SSc-ILD in the main cohort (mean age, 48 years; 76% women; mean disease duration, 10.4 years) from Oslo, Norway, and Zurich, Switzerland, enrolled between January 2001 and December 2019.

Pulmonary function tests measuring forced vital capacity (FVC) and diffusin