Increased incidence of cardiovascular disease in patients with RA - results from a community based study

April 5, 2004

Ann Rheum Dis. 2004 Mar 29 [Epub ahead of print]

Increased incidence of cardiovascular disease in patients with

rheumatoid arthritis - results from a community based study.

Turesson C, Jarenros A, sson L.

Mayo Clinic, USA.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the first-ever incidence of acute myocardial

infarction and stroke in a community based RA cohort compared with the

general population. METHODS: The RA cohort consisted of all patients in

a local RA register in Malmo, Sweden (N=1022). The patients were

recruited from private and hospital based rheumatology practices, and

made up the absolute majority of patients with RA in the city. The

general population of Malmo, aged 16-, served as controls. From the

Swedish Hospital Discharge Register and the national Swedish Cause of

Death Register, information about all first-ever myocardial infarctions

and strokes in Malmo residents between July 1997 and December 1999 was

retrieved. The age and sex adjusted standardized morbidity ratio (SMR)

of the two cohorts was calculated. RESULTS: Fifty-four patients with RA

had first- ever myocardial infarctions or stroke during the study

period, compared with 3.862 subjects in the general population. The age

and sex adjusted SMR was 161 (95 % confidence interval (CI) 121-210).

The first-ever incidence of cardiovascular disease was increased among

female as well as among male patients when studied separately. The

increase of cardiovascular events in the RA cohort was mainly due to an

excess of myocardial infarctions [N=36; SMR: 176 (95 % CI: 123-244)].

CONCLUSION: Patients with RA in Malmo had an increased first-ever

incidence of myocardial infarction or stroke compared to the general

population. This confirms that cardiovascular co-morbidity is of major

importance in RA.

PMID: 15051620

I'll tell you where to go!

Mayo Clinic in Rochester

s Hopkins Medicine

Recommended Posts