April 6, 2005 – The high degree of inflammation to which people with rheumatoid arthritis are exposed may increase their risk of cardiovascular disorders and death, according to an epidemiological study published recently in the journal Arthritis and Rheumatism1.
The presence of any of the following four signs of inflammation has been associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disorders, independent of classic risk factors: swelling in large joints, vasculitis, lung disease inflammatory or a high rate of sedimentation of red blood cells (determined by a laboratory test).
A total of 603 adults, mostly women, participated in this study. The average age was 58 years old. All had been diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis between 1er January 1955 and the 1er January 1995. The duration of follow-up was, on average, 15 years. For each of the subjects, the classic risk factors for cardiovascular disorders were noted (smoking, blood pressure, cholesterol, etc.), as well as indicators of inflammation and the degree of severity of the arthritis. However, nothing is known about their use of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). In addition, some inflammatory markers that are of interest in research these days, such as C-reactive protein, have not been considered.
Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic disease that causes inflammation in the joints, but this inflammation often spreads throughout the body. It has been noticed that people who suffer from it have a shorter life expectancy than others, usually due to cardiovascular disorders.
It is not clear how the inflammation affects the arteries and the heart. The authors of the study believe that it causes lipid plaques to form on the walls of the arteries. By controlling inflammation to an acceptable degree, much like controlling blood sugar in diabetics, the risk of cardiovascular disorders could decrease, the researchers believe. This remains to be verified.
Marie-Michèle Mantha – PasseportSanté.net
1. Maradit-Kremers H, Nicola PJ, Crowson CS, Ballman KV, Gabriel SE. Cardiovascular death in rheumatoid arthritis: a population-based study. Arthritis Rheum. 2005 Mar; 52 (3): 722-32.
