Cardiovascular comorbidity in rheumatic diseases.

Area of Science:

• Rheumatology
• Cardiology
• Immunology

Background:

• Patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and other inflammatory joint diseases (IJDs) exhibit elevated risks of premature mortality.
• Cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk in RA patients parallels that in diabetes mellitus patients.
• Atherosclerosis is a common comorbidity across various IJDs, despite differing pathogenic mechanisms and clinical presentations.

Purpose of the Study:

• To highlight the significant cardiovascular disease risk in patients with inflammatory joint diseases.
• To emphasize the need for integrated cardiovascular risk assessment and management in IJD care.
• To underscore the multifactorial nature of cardiovascular risk in IJDs, involving both traditional and inflammation-driven factors.

Main Methods:

• Review of existing literature on cardiovascular comorbidities in inflammatory joint diseases.
• Analysis of the contribution of traditional cardiovascular risk factors (age, gender, dyslipidemia, hypertension, smoking, obesity, diabetes mellitus).
• Consideration of the role of chronic inflammation as a key driver of atherosclerosis in IJDs.

Main Results:

• Inflammatory joint diseases significantly increase the risk of premature death, primarily due to cardiovascular disease.
• Both traditional risk factors and systemic inflammation contribute substantially to heightened cardiovascular risk in IJDs.
• Current cardiovascular risk assessment models lack specificity for IJD patient populations.

Conclusions:

• Cardiovascular risk assessment should be integrated into routine care for patients with inflammatory joint diseases.
• Effective cardiovascular risk reduction strategies involve managing traditional risk factors and controlling disease activity.
• Further development of disease-specific cardiovascular risk models for IJDs is warranted.