Carotid atherosclerosis in patients with rheumatoid arthritis and rheumatoid nodules

To determine whether an association exists between the presence of rheumatoid nodules and thickening of the intima-media and plaque of the carotid artery, which is evidence of atherosclerosis.

Observational, cross-sectional study of 124 patients with rheumatoid arthritis from a University Hospital clinic from 2005 to 2006. We divided the patients into 2 groups, 62 with rheumatoid nodules and 62 without rheumatoid nodules, matched for age and sex. Medical history, erythrocyte sedimentation rate, anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide, rheumatoid factor, and a high resolution doppler ultrasound of the carotid arteries were performed.

Women comprised 89.5% of the patients. The prevalence of a carotid plaque was 57% in our population. The presence of a plaque was associated with age, arterial hypertension and abdominal circumference. Average intima-media thickness (IMT) in patients with a plaque was 0.085 cm (± 0.02). There was no correlation between laboratory parameters and thickening of the intima-media of the carotid artery. Subcutaneous nodules were present in 33 (47%) of the 70 patients with a carotid plaque and in 29 (54%) of patients without a carotid plaque (p=.471).

We did not find an association between rheumatoid nodules and the presence of a carotid plaque and thickening of the intima-media of the carotid in patients with rheumatoid arthritis.