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Coronary artery calcium did not significantly differ between RA patients, controls
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Incidence of newly detected coronary artery calcium did not differ significantly between patients with rheumatoid arthritis and control participants, according to recent study results.
Michelle Petri, MD, MPH, professor of medicine and director of the Lupus Center, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, and colleagues compared incidence and progression of coronary artery calcium (CAC) in 155 patient with rheumatoid arthritis (RA; mean age, 59.2 years; 63% women) and 835 control participants (mean age, 62.8 years; 52% women). The researchers studied the association of demographic characteristics, traditional cardiovascular risk factors, RA disease characteristics and selected inflammatory markers with CAC incidence and progression.
Michelle Petri
Patients with RA had an incidence of newly detected CAC of 8.2 per 100 person-years, compared with the controls, who had an incidence of 7.3 per 100 person-years (incidence rate ratio=1.14; 95% CI, 0.73-1.75). Older age (aged 59±7 years vs. 55±6 years, P=.03), higher triglyceride levels (137±86 mg/dL vs.97±60 mg/dL, P=.01) and higher systolic blood pressure (129±17 mm Hg vs. 117±15 mm Hg, P=.01) were experienced by the patients with the patients with RA who developed newly detectable RA compared to those who did not. After adjusting for age, statistical significance remained for differences in blood pressure and triglyceride levels.
A yearly progression median rate of 21(7-62) Agatston units was experienced by RA patients with any CAC at baseline, compared with 21 (5-70) Agatston units in the control participants.
“No statistical differences between RA progressors and RA non-progressors were observed for inflammatory markers for RA disease characteristics,” the researchers reported.
“In patients with RA, higher systolic blood pressure, higher triglycerides concentrations and older age were significant predictors of incident CAC over a period of follow-up, while inflammatory and RA disease characteristics were not,” the researchers concluded. “Amongst patient with RA and CAC at baseline, no association was found between traditional risk factors and CAC progression.”
Disclosure: The researchers report no relevant financial disclosures.
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