Cardiovascular disease in rheumatoid arthritis: a systematic literature review in latin america

Area of Science:

• Rheumatology
• Cardiology
• Public Health

Background:

• Cardiovascular disease (CVD) significantly worsens prognosis for rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients.
• Identifying nontraditional risk factors for CVD in specific populations, like Latin Americans (LA), is crucial.
• A literature gap exists regarding CVD in RA patients within LA and the Caribbean.

Purpose of the Study:

• To systematically review existing literature on cardiovascular risk factors and outcomes in rheumatoid arthritis patients in Latin America.
• To determine the prevalence of CVD in this specific ethnic subgroup.
• To identify associated traditional and nontraditional risk factors.

Main Methods:

• A systematic literature review was conducted by two independent, blinded reviewers.
• Searches were performed across major scientific databases: PubMed, LILACS, SciELO, and Virtual Health Library.
• Studies focusing on cardiovascular risk factors or outcomes in Latin American RA patients were included.

Main Results:

• Out of 10,083 retrieved studies, 16 articles met the inclusion criteria.
• The prevalence of CVD among Latin American RA patients was found to be 35.3%.
• Nontraditional risk factors identified include HLA-DRB1 shared epitope alleles, rheumatoid factor, chronic inflammation markers, prolonged RA duration, steroid use, familial autoimmunity, and thrombogenic factors.

Conclusions:

• Data on CVD in RA patients within Latin America is currently limited.
• There is a need for comprehensive cardiovascular risk factor evaluation in Latin American RA patients.
• Developing targeted public health policies is essential to reduce CVD morbidity and mortality in this population.