| ORIGINAL ARTICLE |
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| Year : 2013 | Volume
: 8
| Issue : 1 | Page : 19-23 |
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A study of the conventional cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) among Indians
Divya Agarwal1, Anand N Malaviya2
1 Consultant Rheumatologist, MAX Hospital, Saket, India
2 Consultant Rheumatologist, A&R Clinic for Arthritis and Rheumatism & Department of Rheumatology, ISIC Superspeciality Hospital, New Delhi 110070, India
Correspondence Address:
Divya Agarwal
Consultant Rheumatologist, MAX Hospital, Saket
India
 Source of Support: None, Conflict of Interest: None  | Check |
DOI: 10.1016/j.injr.2012.12.006
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Objective: To compare traditional cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors and acute phase reactants between subjects with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and subjects without rheuma- toid arthritis (RA).
Methods: A pre-designed proforma was completed on each patient with RA and normal controls. It included the demographic details, standard Framingham cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors and quantitative C-reactive protein (CRP). The values were statistically compared between the 2 groups.
Results: A total of 56 RA subjects and 31 non-RA subjects (mean age 50 vs. 45 years, women to men ratio 2.1 vs 1.2, both differences insignificant) were included in the study. Among traditional standard Framingham CVD risk factors, moderately significant elevation of low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (LDL-C) and body mass index (BMI) were observed in subjects with RA as compared to subjects without RA. CRP, a non-traditional CVD risk factor, was significantly elevated in subjects with RA. Presence of hypothyroidism, diabetes, hypertension and smoking showed no significant different difference between RA and the control group.
Conclusion: An increase in some of the standard Framingham CVD risk factors and CRP was observed in subjects with RA. Whether intervention for correcting these abnormalities would reduce CVD risk, would be a separate research agenda |
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