Income and Other Contributors to Poor Outcomes in U.S. Patients with Sarcoidosis

Rationale Socioeconomic factors are associated with worse disease severity at presentation in sarcoidosis, but the relative importance of socioeconomic variables on morbidity and disease burden has not been fully elucidated. Objectives To determine the association between income and sarcoidosis outcomes after controlling for socioeconomic and disease-related factors. Methods Using the Sarcoidosis Advanced Registry for Cures database, we analyzed data from 2,318 patients with sarcoidosis in the United States to determine the effect of income and other variables on outcomes. We divided comorbidities arising after diagnosis into those likely related to steroid use and those likely related to sarcoidosis. We assessed the development of health-related, functional, and socioeconomic outcomes following the diagnosis of sarcoidosis. Measurements and Main Results In multivariate analysis, low-income patients had significantly higher rates of new sarcoidosis-related comorbidities (<$35,000, odds ratio [OR], 2.4 [1.7–3.3]; $35,000–84,999, OR, 1.4 [1.1–1.9]; and ≥$85,000 [reference (Ref)]) and new steroid-related comorbidities (<$35,000, OR, 1.3 [0.9–2.0]; $35,000–84,999, OR, 1.5 [1.1–2.1]; and ≥$85,000 [Ref]), had lower health-related quality of life as assessed by the Sarcoidosis Health Questionnaire (P < 0.001), and experienced more impact on family finances (<$35,000, OR, 7.9 [4.9–12.7]; $35,000–84,999, OR, 2.7 [1.9–3.9]; and ≥$85,000 [Ref]). The use of supplemental oxygen, need for assistive devices, and job loss were more common in lower income patients. Development of comorbidities after diagnosis of sarcoidosis occurred in 63% of patients and were strong independent predictors of poor outcomes. In random forest modeling, income was consistently a leading predictor of outcome. Conclusions These results suggest the burden from sarcoidosis preferentially impacts the economically disadvantaged.