Viewpoint: how to measure comorbidities in patients with rheumatoid arthritis – clinical and academic value

Given the high prevalence and the enormous impact on key outcomes, comorbidities are important to consider, especially in patients with RA. Comorbidity indices are tools to quantify the impact of the overall burden of coexisting diseases on a specific outcome of interest. Until now, no gold standard exists on how to measure comorbidities. A large variety of indices have been developed using different settings and therefore leading to conceptual differences. Choosing the right tool clearly depends on the intention (clinical or research purpose) and the specific research question. The current article will address the purpose and challenge of measuring comorbidities in RA patients.