predictors of new atherosclerotic carotid plaque development in patients with rheumatoid arthritis a longitudinal study预测的新类风湿性关节炎患者颈动脉粥样硬化斑块发展纵向研究.pdfVIP

Zampeli et al. Arthritis Research Therapy 2012, 14:R44 /content/14/2/R44 RESEARCH ARTICLE Open Access Predictors of new atherosclerotic carotid plaque development in patients with rheumatoid arthritis: a longitudinal study 1 1 2 1 1 Evangelia Zampeli , Athanase Protogerou , Kimon Stamatelopoulos , Kalliopi Fragiadaki , Christina G Katsiari , 1 2 2 3 4 Katerina Kyrkou , Christos M Papamichael , Myron Mavrikakis , Peter Nightingale , George D Kitas and Petros P Sfikakis1* Abstract Introduction: Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is associated with increased cardiovascular morbidity and mortality attributed to both classical risk factors and chronic inflammation. We assessed longitudinally the factors associated with new carotid plaques in nondiabetic RA patients and apparently healthy individuals. Methods: In our present prospective observational study, carotid plaques were identified by ultrasonography at baseline and follow-up end, separated by an average of 3.6 ± 0.2 years, in 64 patients (mean age 59.2 ± 12.0 and disease duration at baseline 7.8 ± 6.2 years, 83% women, clinical and laboratory evaluation every 3 to 6 months). In a substudy, 35 of the patients were matched 1:1 for traditional cardiovascular risk factors with ‘healthy’ controls and were studied in parallel. Results: New atherosclerotic plaques formed in 30% of patients (first plaque in 9%) who were significantly older than the remaining patients. Tobacco use, blood pressure, body mass index, average cumulative low-density lipoprotein, high-sensitivity C-reactive protein, erythrocyte sedimentation rate