RESEARCH - Hypothyroid RA patients have worse cardiovascular risk profiles

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Low Thyroid Function Ups Metabolic Syndrome Risk in Rheumatoid Arthritis

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) Dec 25 - Hypothyroid rheumatoid arthritis

(RA) patients have worse cardiovascular risk profiles - reflected by a

higher prevalence of metabolic syndrome -- than those with normal

thyroid function, new research shows.

Based on the findings, these patients should be getting more intensive

cardiovascular risk management, Dr. H. G. Raterman of VU University

Medical Center in Amsterdam and colleagues conclude.

RA itself increases cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk, the researchers

note, while recent studies suggest hypothyroidism may further boost

CVD risk in RA patients.

To investigate whether thyroid function was related specifically to

metabolic syndrome, Dr. Raterman and colleagues looked at 257 patients

taking part in a study of CVD and CVD risk factors in RA. Twenty-one,

or 8.2%, were hypothyroid.

Among the hypothyroid patients, 43% had metabolic syndrome, as defined

by the National Cholesterol Education Program Third Adult Treatment

Panel criteria, compared to 20% of euthyroid RA patients. After

adjusting for age and gender, hypothyroidism increased the likelihood

of having metabolic syndrome 3.5-fold.

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Read the full article here:

http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/714307

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