Cardiovascular disease in rheumatoid arthritis: a step forward

The present review highlights the recent findings on cardiovascular disease in rheumatoid arthritis (RA), and outlines the current concepts and prospects of cardiovascular disease detection and management in RA.

Over the past year the knowledge of cardiovascular disease in RA has been augmented by a number of studies further explicating the interplay between RA and cardiovascular risk factors and highlighting the impact of inflammatory measures, immune mediators and other markers as early determinants of cardiovascular disease in RA. Other studies reported potential beneficial effects on cardiovascular outcomes for some antirheumatic medications.

Knowledge of the increased burden of cardiovascular disease in RA is substantial and is continuously growing. Early detection, control and management of cardiovascular disease in RA appear to be a rapidly advancing field of research. However, much more work is needed to develop effective interventions to reduce cardiovascular morbidity and mortality in RA patients. More studies are needed to identify specific biomarkers for cardiovascular disease in RA and to develop cardiovascular risk scoring tools and evidence-based algorithms to promote more effective cardiovascular prevention and management of cardiovascular disease in RA.