[Risk factors of cardiovascular diseases in patients with rheumatoid arthritis]

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is associated with an increased cardiovascular risk, which cannot be explained by conventional risk factors. Arterial rigidity is an independent cardiovascular risk factor in RA patients. The aim of the investigation was to study arterial rigidity in RA patients in the absence of classic risk factors. Arterial rigidity was measured with the arteriographer Tensioclinic (Tensiomed, Hungary) in 17 patients with the diagnosis of RA made according to American College of Rheumatologists diagnostic criteria, and 22 healthy persons without cardiovascular risk factors. Systolic, diastolic, and mean arterial pressure, heart rate, brachial and aortal augmentation index (AI), the time of pulse wave (PW) return from the aorta, PW velocity in the aorta (PWVA), and the square of the systolic and diastolic PW components were measured. Compared with the controls, arterial rigidity was increased in the RA patients. AI in the aorta was 25.09 +/- 12.75% vs. 17.63 +/- 10.01% in the controls (p = 0.04); AI in the brachial artery was - 17.62 +/- 30.09% and -35.22 +/- 23.6%, respectively. PWVA was much higher in the RA patients vs. the controls (8.98 +/- 1.89 m/sec and 720 +/- 1.84 m/sec, respectively). Thus, in the absence of conventional cardiovascular risk factors RA may be considered an independent risk factor of an increased arterial rigidity.