EULAR26: ANCHOR-RA Study of RA-ILD Save

People with rheumatoid arthritis are at risk of developing interstitial lung disease (RA-ILD), which is associated with high mortality. ANCHOR-RA is a large, international cross-sectional prospective study that will enable the development of a multivariable model to help detect RA-ILD.⁵ Investigators enrolled 1,169 participants with rheumatoid arthritis and at least two ILD risk factors, but without known ILD. Results presented at the 2026 EULAR Congress showed that 9.1% had undiagnosed ILD. In preliminary analyses, factors associated with RA-ILD were older age, male sex, greater tobacco exposure, and higher rheumatoid arthritis disease activity. Lung-based factors included lower oxygen saturation and lung diffusion results, crackles on auscultation, and carrying the MUC5B promoter variant – a genetic risk factor.

Presenting the work, Jeffrey Sparks from the Mass General Brigham / Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, United States, said “This is the largest prospective study implementing a screening strategy for ILD among people with RA and ILD risk factors across multiple centres and countries. These preliminary analyses reveal that about 1 out of every 10 have undiagnosed ILD, and recapitulate some known risk factors and features. Our next steps will be to validate approaches to risk stratify for ILD and investigate whether early intervention may alter the natural history of RA-ILD.”

Source

Sparks JA, et al. Risk factors for interstitial lung disease in patients with rheumatoid arthritis: results from the international ANCHOR-RA study. Presented at EULAR 2026; OP084. Ann Rheum Dis 2026; DOI: 10.1136/annrheumdis-2026-eular.B.1963.