PREDICTORS OF CARDIOVASCULAR RISK IN PATIENTS WITH RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS: CORRELATION BETWEEN THE PRESENCE OF CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE AND CHARACTERISTICS OF THE JOINT DISEASE

LATE-BREAKERS: SESSION 2: PDF Only PREDICTORS OF CARDIOVASCULAR RISK IN PATIENTS WITH RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS CORRELATION BETWEEN THE PRESENCE OF CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE AND CHARACTERISTICS OF THE JOINT DISEASE Borghi, C.; Bentivenga, C.; Cicero, A.F.; Trevisani, M.; Rossi, E.; Viviani, F.; Maranini, B.; Mulè, R.; Vukatana, G.; Buffa, A.; Corvaglia, S.; Malavolta, N. Author Information Journal of Hypertension 37():p e225-e226, July 2019. | DOI: 10.1097/01.hjh.0000572904.86052.da Abstract Objective: Cardiovascular events represent the leading cause of death in patients with rheumatoid arthritis. Traditional cardiovascular risk factors alone do not adequately explain the phenomenon. This is probably due to other risk factors typical of joint disease, such as chronic inflammation and autoantibodies. Our study investigated the traditional cardiovascular risk factors and the characteristics of joint disease in a population of 374 patients with rheumatoid arthritis, in order to identify elements that allow a more adequate stratification and risk management. Design and method: A retrospective study was conducted that evaluated the traditional cardiovascular risk factors and characteristics of joint disease, ie disease duration, antibody profile and extra-articular manifestations. In addition, the therapy taken by patients for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis was investigated and QRISK2 was calculated. Results: RF (Rheumatoid Factor) positive and ACPA (anti-citrullinated peptide antibodies) positive subjects have higher QRISK2 values than subjects who have either negative antibodies or either one positive (p = 0.038). Among patients with QRISK2 > 20% (high cardiovascular risk) 60% had RF and ACPA positive (p = 0.02). The correlations between antibody positivity (FR and ACPA), QRISK2 values and cardiovascular event were also compared; it was observed that statistically significant p values are obtained (p = 0.003). Conclusions: In our patient cohort, subjects at high cardiovascular risk, calculated on the basis of QRISK2, are predominantly FR and ACPA positive subjects. The addition of the autoantibody evaluation to QRISK2 increases the predictability of cardiovascular risk assessment in this patient population. We can suggest how further studies can support these hypotheses and we can support the evaluation of autoantibodies, easy to perform in the clinical setting, to the scoring systems currently used, to better outline the cardiovascular risk in patients suffering from rheumatoid arthritis, in order to implement also adequate prevention of cardiovascular events.