Background Patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) are at an increased risk of comorbidities and it has been linked to a decrease in life expectancy in comparison with the general population. Early recognition and treatment of comorbidities is important.

Objectives We aimed to evaluate the presence of comorbidities in a Mexican mestizo cohort of patients with early-RA.

Methods A descriptive, cross-sectional study of patients with early-rheumatoid arthritis (disease duration <12 months) was designed. Information on comorbidities, weight, height and body mass index (BMI) was collected.

Results Data of fifty patients was included in the final analysis, 46 (92.0%) of them were women. Patient's characteristics are shown in Table 1. Mean age was 44.3 ± 13.12 years. Mean disease duration was 6.09 ± 2.91 months. Tuberculosis (TB) infection was found in 12 (24.0%) patients, 7 (58.3%) of them were latent tuberculosis infection. Four cases of extra-pulmonary TB were reported. Hypertension was the second most prevalent comorbidity, being reported in 11 (22.0%) patients.

• Download figure
• Open in new tab
• Download powerpoint

Conclusions In this cohort of Mexican mestizo patients with early-RA, TB infection was found in 24.0% of the patients. Hypertension was the second most prevalent comorbidity in our cohort, being reported in 22.0% of the patients. Other cardiovascular heart disease risk factors were also reported. Early recognition of these comorbidities is needed because of the higher risk of cardiovascular heart disease in RA-patients in comparison to the general population.

1. Emery, P., Breedveld, F. C., Dougados, M., Kalden, J. R., Schiff, M. H., & Smolen, J. S. (2002). Early referral recommendation for newly diagnosed rheumatoid arthritis: evidence based development of a clinical guide. Annals of the rheumatic diseases, 61(4), 290–297.

Disclosure of Interest None declared