Key result
Rheumatoid arthritis linked to ~19% greater arterial stiffness versus healthy controls.
Why the study?
Patients with rheumatoid arthritis have higher arterial stiffness and cardiovascular risk, but data on arterial stiffness in African rheumatoid arthritis patients are scarce.
Does rheumatoid arthritis increase arterial stiffness in a sub-Saharan African population?
Case-Control (n=63)
No
Does rheumatoid arthritis increase arterial stiffness in a sub-Saharan African population?
Absolute Event Rate: 8.85% vs 7.45%
p-value: p=≤0.01
Rheumatoid arthritis is associated with significantly increased arterial stiffness in a sub-Saharan African population, highlighting the need for enhanced cardiovascular risk screening in these patients.
Supports RA-arterial stiffness link in sub-Saharan Africa; leaves open need for prospective validation before screening changes.
Background: Analysis of arterial stiffness (AS) is a good marker of early arterial disease and an important determinant of cardiovascular risk, independent of other traditional cardiovascular risk factors. Carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity (CfPWV) is the gold standard to evaluate arterial stiffness. There is evidence that patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) have a higher arterial stiffness than their age-matched healthy counterparts and thus have higher cardiovascular (CV) risk. However, data on arterial stiffness in African rheumatoid arthritis patients is scarce. Objectives: To determine the patterns of arterial stiffness in rheumatoid arthritis patients in a sub-Saharan African setting, using CfPWV and Augmentation index (AIx). Method: We conducted a case-control study, at the Douala general hospital over four months (February to May 2018) on 63 subjects among which 31 RA patients matched for age and sex with 32 healthy subjects. AIx and CfPWV were determined non-invasively by radial pulse wave analysis and carotid femoral wave analysis respectively, using a sphygmocor Atcor device (SphygmoCor, PWV Medical, Sydney, Australia). Results: The mean age of RA patients was 47 ± 14 years with most of them being females (n = 26, 83.9%). CfPWV was significantly higher in RA patients compared to the control group (mean: 8.85 ± 2.1 vs 7.45 ± 1.38; p ≤ 0.01) as well as was AIx (Median: 33 [26 - 43] vs 26 [20 - 31]; p = 0.01). RA (OR: 6.105; 95% CI: 1.52 - 24.54; p 1.34; 95% CI: 1.14 - 5.17; p = 0.05), elevated CRP levels (OR: 4.01; 95% CI: 1.16 - 13.68; p = 0.03) and Hypertension (OR: 5.75; 95% CI: 1.24 -11.60; p Conclusion: Arterial stiffness, a well-recognized marker of cardiovascular risk is increased among patients suffering from rheumatoid arthritis when compared to a healthy control group.
No takes yet. Share an insight, caveat, or question.
Reid et al. (2023) conducted a case-control in Rheumatoid Arthritis (n=63). Rheumatoid Arthritis vs. Healthy subjects was evaluated on Carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity (CfPWV) (p=≤0.01). Rheumatoid arthritis patients had significantly higher arterial stiffness compared to healthy controls, as measured by a mean carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity of 8.85 m/s versus 7.45 m/s.
Synapse has enriched 5 closely related papers on similar clinical questions. Consider them for comparative context: