RESEARCH - High 10-year risk of cardiovascular disease in newly diagnosed RA patients

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Arthritis Rheum. 2008 Aug;58(8):2268-74.

High ten-year risk of cardiovascular disease in newly diagnosed

rheumatoid arthritis patients: a population-based cohort study.

Kremers HM, Crowson CS, Therneau TM, VL, SE.

Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN 55905, USA.

OBJECTIVE: To estimate the 10-year absolute risk of cardiovascular

(CV) events in newly diagnosed rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients and

the potential contribution of CV risk factors to absolute risk

assessment.

METHODS: A population-based incidence cohort of RA patients (defined

according to the American College of Rheumatology 1987 criteria) was

assembled and compared with an age- and sex-matched non-RA cohort.

Data were collected on CV risk factors and CV events. regression

models were used to estimate the 10-year risk of a combined CV end

point, adjusting for CV risk factors. Subjects were classified into 5

risk categories based on their 10-year absolute risk.

RESULTS: The absolute CV risk in RA patients was similar to that in

non-RA subjects who were 5-10 years older. The absolute risk varied

substantially according to the presence of CV risk factors. The

10-year absolute CV risk among 60-69-year-old RA patients with no risk

factors was 16.8%, but rose to 60.4% if risk factors such as smoking,

hypertension, dyslipidemia, diabetes, and obesity were present. Among

RA patients with a low body mass index, in addition to the above risk

factors, the 10-year absolute CV risk rose to 86.2%.

CONCLUSION: More than half of the newly diagnosed RA patients who were

50-59 years of age and all of those >60 years of age had a >10% risk

of CV disease within 10 years of their RA incidence and should be

targeted for specific CV risk reduction strategies tailored to their

personal risk profiles.

PMID: 18668561

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18668561

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