Cardiovascular Risks and Risk Stratification in Inflammatory Joint Diseases: A Cross-Sectional Study

Area of Science:

• Rheumatology
• Cardiology
• Public Health

Background:

• Inflammatory joint diseases (IJD) are linked to increased cardiovascular (CV) mortality and morbidity.
• European League Against Rheumatism (EULAR) guidelines emphasize CV risk management for rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and other IJDs.
• Assessing CV risk in Middle-European IJD patients is essential.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the prevalence of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and assess cardiovascular risk in Middle-European patients with IJD.
• To compare CV risk in this cohort with general populations and international IJD cohorts.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective chart review of outpatients in a rheumatology clinic.
• Assessment of CV risk factors and existing CVD using 2016 European Guidelines.
• Comparison with Norwegian and Spanish IJD cohorts and German general population data.

Main Results:

• Prevalence of CVD ranged from 8.7% in spondyloarthritis (SpA) to 18.7% in RA patients.
• CV risk stratification (ages 40-65) revealed 50% low, 12.2% moderate, 20.7% high, and 17.1% very high risk.
• Middle-European IJD patients exhibited higher CV risk than the German general population and Spanish IJD patients, particularly those with RA.

Conclusions:

• A high prevalence of established CVD and elevated CV risk necessitates increased vigilance for CV risk factors in IJD patients.
• Prompt medical intervention for identified CV risks is crucial.
• Utilizing international CV risk assessment tools can facilitate individual risk estimation and comparative analysis.