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Study finds patients with AS, PsA or uSpA had greater risks for acute coronary syndrome, stroke events
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Patients with ankylosing spondylitis, psoriatic arthritis or undifferentiated spondyloarthritis had greater risks for acute coronary syndrome and stroke events compared with the general population, according to a recently published prospective study.
Researchers assessed 6,448 patients diagnosed with ankylosing spondylitis (AS), 16,063 with psoriatic arthritis (PsA), 5,190 with undifferentiated spondyloarthritis (uSpA) and 266,435 from the general population between 2001 and 2009.
Investigators found the sex-standardized incidence rate (SIR) for acute coronary syndrome (ACS) was 4.3 per 1,000 person-years for AS, 5.4 per 1,000 person-years for PsA and 4.7 per 1,000 person-years for uSpA compared with 3.2 for the general population. For stroke, SIRs were 5.4 for ACS; 5.9 for PsA; and 5.7 for uSpA. The SIR was 4.7 for the general population. For venous thromboembolism (VTE), SIRs were 3.6 for AS; 3.2 for PsA; and 3.5 for uSpA vs. 2.2 for the general population.
Compared with the general population and after adjustment for age and gender, there was an increased risk for ACS in patients with AS (ratio = 1.54); in patients with PsA (ratio = 1.76); and in patients with uSpA (ratio = 1.36). There was a significantly increased risk for stroke in patients with AS (ratio = 1.25) and in patients with PsA (ratio = 1.34), but not in patients with uSpA. There was an increased risk for VTE in patients with AS (ratio = 1.53), in patients with PsA (ratio = 1.46) and in patients with uSpA (ratio = 1.55). For women, there was a significant decrease in risk for ACS in those with AS compared to those with PsA (ratio = 0.59).
“Patients with AS, PsA and uSpA are at increased risk for ACS and stroke, which emphasizes the importance of identification of and intervention against cardiovascular risk factors in SpA patients,” the researchers wrote. “These findings also support the new EULAR recommendations for [cardiovascular disease] CVD risk management which include recommendation of CVD risk assessment at least once every 5 years for AS and PsA patients.” – by Will A. Offit
Disclosure s : Bengtsson reports no relevant financial disclosures. Please see the full study for a list of all other relevant financial disclosures.
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