Key result
Short-duration rheumatoid arthritis and ankylosing spondylitis show no link to increased arterial stiffness versus controls.
Why the study?
Is arterial stiffness increased in patients with short duration rheumatoid arthritis and ankylosing spondylitis compared to healthy controls?
Cross-Sectional (n=100)
Is arterial stiffness increased in patients with short duration rheumatoid arthritis and ankylosing spondylitis compared to healthy controls?
p-value: p=.14
Short duration active rheumatoid arthritis and ankylosing spondylitis are not associated with increased arterial stiffness, suggesting that vascular changes may develop later in the disease course.
May not warrant early vascular monitoring in short-duration RA or AS; leaves open later stiffness onset in disease course.
Patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and ankylosing spondylitis (AS) have increased cardiovascular (CV) morbidity and mortality. Arterial stiffness is an independent predictor of CV events. The aim of the study was to assess arterial stiffness and inflammatory markers in patients with short duration chronic arthritis. We assessed carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity (PWV), augmentation index (AIx), traditional CV risk factors and inflammatory and endothelial markers in 71 chronic arthritis patients (RA and AS) and in 29 healthy controls. We did not find differences in PWV (for RA, AS and controls, respectively: 10 [8.8-10.9] versus 10.7 [9.1-11.8] versus 9.2 [8.3-11.4] m/s; p = .14) and AIx (for RA, AS and controls, respectively: 24.3 ± 11.5 versus 5.7 ± 12.4 versus 10 ± 12.8%; p = .22). Both groups of arthritis patients had active disease with significantly elevated inflammatory markers compared to controls. There were no correlations between endothelial and inflammatory markers and parameters of arterial stiffness in arthritis patients. When analyzing arthritis patients according to median of PVW, there were no significant differences in inflammatory and endothelial markers. We found that in patients with short duration active RA and AS arterial stiffness was not increased and furthermore, there was no association between markers of systemic inflammation and arterial stiffness.
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Dzieza-Grudnik et al. (2016) conducted a cross-sectional in Rheumatoid arthritis and ankylosing spondylitis (n=100). Short duration chronic arthritis (RA and AS) vs. Healthy controls was evaluated on carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity (PWV) (p=.14). Short duration active rheumatoid arthritis and ankylosing spondylitis were not associated with increased arterial stiffness compared to healthy controls (PWV p=0.14; AIx p=0.22).
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