RESEARCH - Untreated RA associated with adverse lipid profiles

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Rheumatoid Arthritis Associated With Adverse Lipid Profiles

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) Dec 27 - Older adults with untreated rheumatoid

arthritis have lower HDL cholesterol and apolipoprotein A-I levels than

individuals of the same age without this condition, according to a report in

the December issue of The Journal of Rheumatology.

An earlier study showed that Korean patients with untreated rheumatoid

arthritis have adverse lipid profiles compared with age- and sex-matched

healthy controls, the authors explain. No similar studies have examined this

relationship in men and women in the US.

Dr. Hyon K. Choi from Harvard Medical School, Boston, and Dr. D. Seeger

from Ingenix Research and Data Solutions, Auburndale, Massachusetts used

data from the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey to

examine lipid profiles among 258 rheumatoid arthritis patients who were not

taking glucocorticoids or disease modifying antirheumatic drugs.

Patients with rheumatoid arthritis had lower HDL cholesterol levels than did

the 4758 age- and sex-matched controls, the authors report, and levels were

lower among patients meeting four or more American College of Rheumatology

(ACR) criteria than among those meeting three or four ACR criteria.

HDL cholesterol levels varied inversely with C-reactive protein levels, the

presence of hand arthritis, and the presence of rheumatoid factor, the

investigators observe.

Apolipoprotein A-I levels were also lower among rheumatoid arthritis

patients, the results indicate, especially among those meeting at least four

ACR criteria.

Mean total cholesterol levels and other lipid marker levels did not differ

significantly according to the presence of rheumatoid arthritis, the

researchers note.

" These national survey data indicate that rheumatoid arthritis not treated

with disease modifying antirheumatic drugs or glucocorticoids is associated

with adverse lipid profiles characterized by lower HDL cholesterol and

apolipoprotein A-I concentrations in persons aged 60 years and older, " the

authors conclude. " Inflammation from rheumatoid arthritis may adversely

affect lipid levels, which in turn may contribute to the increased risk of

atherosclerosis in this population. "

J Rheumatol 2005;32:2311-2316.

http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/520536

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