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[Ten-year risk of cardiovascular complications in patients with rheumatoid arthritis]

E V Gerasimova, T V Popkova, D S Novikova

    Terapevticheskii Arkhiv
    |July 26, 2011
    PubMed

    Insights

    Rheumatoid arthritis patients have a higher cardiovascular risk than healthy individuals, as shown by both ATP III and Reynolds Risk Score. The Reynolds Risk Score better identifies moderate to high cardiovascular risk in RA patients for timely intervention.

    Area of Science:

    • Cardiology
    • Rheumatology
    • Preventive Medicine

    Background:

    • Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular complications (CVC).
    • Accurate risk assessment is crucial for timely intervention in RA patients.
    • Existing risk scores may not fully capture the cardiovascular risk in this population.

    Purpose of the Study:

    • To compare the 10-year cardiovascular complication (CVC) risk assessed by the Adult Treatment Panel III (ATP III) and Reynolds Risk Score (RRS) in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients.
    • To determine the contribution of C-reactive protein (CRP) to CVC development in RA patients.
    • To evaluate the effectiveness of RRS in identifying RA patients needing closer cardiovascular monitoring.

    Main Methods:

    • The study included 116 RA patients and 85 healthy controls, matched for age and cardiovascular risk factors.
    • 10-year CVC risk was calculated using ATP III and RRS.
    • Serum levels of total cholesterol, HDL cholesterol, and highly sensitive C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) were measured.

    Main Results:

    • RA patients exhibited significantly higher 10-year CVC risk by both ATP III and RRS compared to controls (p < 0.05).
    • The Reynolds Risk Score identified a higher proportion of RA patients with moderate to high cardiovascular risk compared to ATP III, particularly in males.
    • A positive correlation was observed between RRS and carotid intima-media thickness in RA patients (r = 0.44; p < 0.001).

    Conclusions:

    • The Reynolds Risk Score is a valuable tool for identifying RA patients at moderate to high cardiovascular risk.
    • Implementing RRS can facilitate timely and targeted cardiovascular medication in RA patients.
    • Further research may explore the role of hs-CRP in refining cardiovascular risk prediction in RA.
    Abstract

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