Modifiable cardiovascular risk factors in patients with ankylosing spondylitis

Area of Science:

• Rheumatology
• Cardiology
• Public Health

Background:

• Ankylosing spondylitis (AS) is a chronic inflammatory disease with an increased prevalence of cardiovascular disease (CVD).
• Modifiable CVD risk factors, including lipids, hypertension, and lifestyle, are crucial for understanding disease risk.
• The comparison of these factors between AS patients and the general population is essential for targeted prevention strategies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate whether modifiable cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors differ between patients with ankylosing spondylitis (AS) and the general population.
• To assess differences in atherogenic blood lipids, hypertension, smoking, diet, and physical activity.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective analysis of 88 AS patients from the Västerbotten intervention program database.
• Comparison with 351 age- and sex-matched controls.
• Data collected included blood lipids (cholesterol, triglycerides), plasma glucose, hypertension, BMI, smoking, diet, and physical activity.

Main Results:

• No significant differences were observed in hypertension, body mass index, physical activity, diet, or smoking habits between AS patients and controls.
• AS patients exhibited significantly lower serum triglycerides (p<0.01) and cholesterol (p<0.01) levels compared to controls.
• In AS patients, triglyceride levels correlated inversely with total and monounsaturated fat intake and positively with carbohydrate intake.

Conclusions:

• The study found no differences in modifiable CVD risk factors between AS patients and the general population.
• The observed lower lipid levels in AS patients warrant further investigation.
• Increased CVD prevalence in AS may be attributed to factors beyond traditional modifiable risk factors, such as chronic inflammation, metabolism, or NSAID use.