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[Rheumatoid arthritis: a cardiovascular disease?]

C I Daïen1, P Fesler

  • 1Service d'immuno-rhumatologie, CHU Lapeyronie, Montpellier, France.

Annales De Cardiologie Et D'Angeiologie
|September 3, 2011
PubMed

Insights

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients face doubled mortality, primarily due to cardiovascular events like myocardial infarction. Managing chronic inflammation and modifiable risk factors is crucial for improving outcomes.

Area of Science:

  • Rheumatology
  • Cardiology
  • Immunology

Context:

  • Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is associated with significantly increased mortality compared to the general population.
  • Cardiovascular (CV) events account for a substantial portion of this excess mortality in RA patients.
  • The heightened CV risk in RA is not solely explained by traditional risk factors.

Purpose:

  • To highlight the increased cardiovascular risk in rheumatoid arthritis patients.
  • To emphasize the role of chronic inflammation and associated metabolic disturbances in RA-related CV events.
  • To underscore the importance of managing modifiable CV risk factors in RA management.

Summary:

  • Mortality in RA patients is doubled, with cardiovascular events explaining half of the excess deaths.
  • RA increases the risk of myocardial infarction by approximately 60% and fatal cerebrovascular strokes by 50%.
  • Chronic inflammation, metabolic disturbances, and RA treatments contribute to the elevated CV risk.

Impact:

  • Increased awareness of CV risk in RA is essential for appropriate patient management.
  • Proactive treatment of modifiable CV risk factors can mitigate excess mortality in RA.
  • This understanding aids in developing targeted strategies to improve long-term outcomes for RA patients.

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