Article Text
PDF
Abstract
Background Early vascular aging occurring in Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) may be a consequence of chronic inflammation. The measurement of Carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity (cfPWV) is the gold standard to evaluate arterial stiffness. Vascular aging is a result of a change in the biomechanical properties of the vascular wall. This process can be accelerated by the accumulated damage of high mechanical stress (high blood pressure), chronic inflammation and comorbidities such as smoking, Diabetes Mellitus and dyslipidemia1
Objectives The aim of this study was to evaluate variations in the Carotid-Femoral Pulse Wave Velocity (cfPWV) and it's association to age and time of disease evolution in patients with rheumatoid arthritis.
Methods RA patients were matched for age and sex with healthy controls. Subjects with a history of smoking, cardiovascular disease, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, cancer, liver disease, thyroid disease and kidney disease were excluded. The cfPWV was calculated using the Pulse Pen ® (Diatechne, Italy) device.
Results We included 76 women with RA and 28 healthy women, mean age (44.3±10.92 vs. 43.0±16.26, P=0.654). cfPWV demonstrated good correlation with age (r=0.459, P<0.01), disease evolution time (r=0.311, P=0.008), triglycerides (r=0.289, P=0.03), total cholesterol (r=0.421, P<0.01) and atherogenic index (r=0.320, P=0.02). No association with disease activity was found. cfPWV was higher in those patients with RA >10 years evolution compared to patients with <10 years of disease evolution and to controls (P<0.05).
Conclusions A significant association between cfPWV was seen in patients with RA, and was also correlated to age and to a disease evolution >10 years long without finding a significant association with increased disease activity.
References
-Kozakova M, Morizzo C, Guarino D, et al. The impact of age and risk factors on carotid and carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity. Journal of hypertension 2015;33(7):1446–51 doi: 10.1097/HJH.0000000000000582 [published Online First: Epub Date]|.
References
Disclosure of Interest None declared