This study, conducted by Virginia D. Steen and Thomas A. Medsger, examines changes in survival and causes of death in patients with systemic sclerosis (SSc) over a 30-year period from 1972 to 2002. The research was based on data from the University of Pittsburgh Scleroderma Databank, which included consecutive patients evaluated at the university between 1972 and 1996. The study found that 10-year survival rates improved steadily from 54% to 66% over the study period, with a significant improvement from 1982 to 1991 compared to 1972 to 1981. The frequency of deaths due to scleroderma-related causes, such as renal crisis and pulmonary fibrosis (PF), decreased significantly, while deaths due to pulmonary hypertension and PF increased. The proportion of deaths from non-scleroderma-related causes remained stable, but patients with SSc were less likely to die from scleroderma-related problems in the past 15 years. The study concludes that lung disease, particularly pulmonary hypertension and PF, is now the primary cause of scleroderma-related deaths, highlighting the need for continued research and better therapies for these severe complications.This study, conducted by Virginia D. Steen and Thomas A. Medsger, examines changes in survival and causes of death in patients with systemic sclerosis (SSc) over a 30-year period from 1972 to 2002. The research was based on data from the University of Pittsburgh Scleroderma Databank, which included consecutive patients evaluated at the university between 1972 and 1996. The study found that 10-year survival rates improved steadily from 54% to 66% over the study period, with a significant improvement from 1982 to 1991 compared to 1972 to 1981. The frequency of deaths due to scleroderma-related causes, such as renal crisis and pulmonary fibrosis (PF), decreased significantly, while deaths due to pulmonary hypertension and PF increased. The proportion of deaths from non-scleroderma-related causes remained stable, but patients with SSc were less likely to die from scleroderma-related problems in the past 15 years. The study concludes that lung disease, particularly pulmonary hypertension and PF, is now the primary cause of scleroderma-related deaths, highlighting the need for continued research and better therapies for these severe complications.