Table 4.

All causes of death in patients with sIBM based on the experience of 13 physicians from seven countries

Cause of death
Respiratory complications (excluding aspiration pneumonia)
Complications arising from dysphagia (including aspiration pneumonia)
Complications arising from falls
Cardiovascular causes (MIa, chronic heart failure, stroke)
Cancers/malignancy (transitional cell carcinoma, colon cancer, male breast cancer, leukemia, acute lymphoblastic leukemia, prostate cancer, lung cancer)
Severe infection due to immunosuppression
Acute sepsis
Leg ulceration
Ulcerative colitis
Renal failure
Cerebrovascular event
Euthanasiab
Other systemic diseases
Old age
Unknown

^aThis abbreviation was not defined by the respondent. ^bReported by a practitioner in the Netherlands for one patient. Euthanasia is legal in the Netherlands, but only for patients experiencing unbearable suffering and when strict procedures are adhered to [19].