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Serum total, HDL, LDL cholesterol, and triglyceride levels in patients with rheumatoid arthritis

J Lakatos1, A Hárságyi

  • 1United Sanitary Institutions, Pécs, Hungary.

Clinical Biochemistry
|April 1, 1988
PubMed

Insights

Patients with rheumatoid arthritis have higher total and LDL cholesterol and lower HDL cholesterol and triglycerides, increasing coronary heart disease risk. These lipid changes were not affected by anti-inflammatory drug treatments.

Area of Science:

  • Cardiology
  • Rheumatology
  • Clinical Biochemistry

Background:

  • Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients face a higher risk of coronary heart disease (CHD).
  • Plasma high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL) levels are generally linked to ischemic heart disease (IHD) risk.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate lipid profile differences in patients with rheumatoid arthritis compared to healthy controls.
  • To assess the impact of anti-inflammatory drug treatments on these lipid parameters.

Main Methods:

  • Serum levels of total cholesterol, HDL cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, and triglycerides were measured.
  • Patient data (26 men, 103 women) were compared to healthy controls (625 men, 749 women).
  • Comparisons included age and sex-matched controls.

Main Results:

  • Rheumatoid arthritis patients exhibited significantly higher total and LDL cholesterol (p < 0.001).
  • Patients with RA showed significantly lower HDL cholesterol and triglyceride levels (p < 0.001).
  • These lipid parameter differences persisted after comparing with age and sex-matched controls and were not altered by steroidal or nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug use.

Conclusions:

  • Patients with rheumatoid arthritis display an atherogenic lipid profile, characterized by elevated total and LDL cholesterol and reduced HDL cholesterol and triglycerides.
  • This dyslipidemia may contribute to the increased cardiovascular risk observed in RA patients.
  • Current anti-inflammatory treatments do not appear to modify these adverse lipid changes.

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