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Arthritis Inflammation Increases Cardiac Death Risk
Arthritis Inflammation Increases Cardiac Death Risk -- Posted by Roman Bystrianyk on 03-31-05 17:12
http://www.healthsentinel.com/news.php?event=news_print_list_item&id=715
"Arthritis Inflammation Increases Cardiac Death Risk", Reuters, March
31, 2005,
Link:
http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml;jsessionid=K3IND5RZQO1BECRBAE0CFFA?type=healthNews&storyID=8052704
Systemic inflammation increases the risk of dying from cardiovascular
disease in patients with rheumatoid arthritis, a new study shows, even
after factoring in the effects of traditional cardiovascular risk
factors and other illnesses."
The rate of illness and death from cardiovascular disease is higher
among rheumatoid arthritis patients, and there is increasing evidence
that inflammation plays a key role in the development of
atherosclerosis, also known as hardening of the arteries, Dr. Sherine
E. Gabriel of the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, and colleagues
report in the medical journal Arthritis and Rheumatism.
They therefore conducted a study to investigate if evidence of more
severe inflammation in rheumatoid arthritis patients might be
associated with an increased risk of death from cardiovascular disease.
Gabriel and colleagues looked at 603 patients with rheumatoid
arthritis, representing all residents of Rochester 18 years or older
who were diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis between 1955 and 1995.
Study subjects were followed for an average of 15 years.
The researchers found a number of factors and other illnesses increased
the risk of cardiovascular death, including personal history of
cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure, diabetes mellitus, cancer
and history of alcoholism.
After accounting for these factors, the researchers found that three
markers of inflammation were independently associated with a greater
risk of cardiovascular death.
These included having at least three high erythrocyte sedimentation
rate tests; rheumatoid arthritis vasculitis; and rheumatoid lung
disease. Swelling of large joints also was associated with a greater
risk of cardiovascular death.
In addition, the researchers found that corticosteroid drug use
increased the risk of cardiovascular death among rheumatoid arthritis
patients who had no history of heart disease, but reduced
cardiovascular death risk among those who did have a history of heart
disease.
While these drugs can promote high blood pressure and high cholesterol,
the researchers note, their anti-inflammatory effects may benefit
patients with existing heart disease.
The researchers suggest that new studies should investigate whether
aggressive treatment to tightly control systemic inflammation in
rheumatoid arthritis patients can reduce the risk of cardiovascular
death -- similar to the benefits of tightly controlling blood sugar
levels in diabetics.
SOURCE: Arthritis and Rheumatism, March 2005.
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