Abstract
Survival of 358 males first diagnosed scleroderma in a VA hospital was analyzed according to entry characteristics. The overall cumulative survival rate by the life-table method declined to 35 per cent after 7 yr of follow-up. Older patients survived significantly worse than younger ( p < 0.001) and this age effect occurred only in the first 2 yr. No racial or geographic differences in survival were found. All 17 patients with kidneys involved died within 10 months. Men with heart but not kidney involvement had 13 per cent survival after 7 yr and those with lung but neither kidney nor heart had 34 per cent survival. Patients without these circulatory organs involved at entry had the best survival (44 per cent) although far less than expected (91 per cent). In the latter patient group, factors associated with significantly reduced survival were: older age, elevated sedimentation rate, anemia, proteinuria and heavy use of alcohol or cigarettes. None of the common therapies, including corticosteroids influenced survival.
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