title: Prevalence of ischemic heart disease in patients with familial Mediterranean fever.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Familial Mediterranean fever is a genetic disorder manifested by recurrent attacks of peritonitis, pleuritis and arthritis, and characterized by clinical, histological and laboratory evidence for localized and systemic inflammation. Colchicine treatment usually prevents the attacks and the associated inflammation. Inflammation may play an important role in the initiation and progression of atherosclerosis and ischemic heart disease.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To study the effect of inflammation and its prevention on the occurrence of IHD, using FMF as a model.
  
  
  METHODS
  We studied the presence of IHD and its risk factors in 290 FMF patients aged 40 years or more, and in two control groups--233 spouses of the FMF patients, and 126 patients with inflammatory diseases obtained from other outpatient clinics, FMF patients were also compared with age and gender-matched individuals from the population reference data of the Israel Ministry of Health.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The prevalence of IHD in FMF patients was significantly lower than in the group of controls from other outpatient clinics (15.5% vs. 30.2%, P < 0.05) and comparable with their spouses (11.2%) and with the matched general population in Israel (16%).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These findings suggest that despite the evidence of recurrent inflammation, colchicine-treated FMF patients are not more predisposed to IHD than the normal population.
authors.affiliation: Heller Institute of Medical Research, Sheba Medical Center, Tel-Hashomer, Israel.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Langevitz
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Livneh
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Neumann
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Buskila
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Shemer
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Amolsky
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pras
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003078:Colchicine / Q000627:therapeutic use; D010505:Familial Mediterranean Fever / Q000150:complications* / Q000517:prevention & control; D005260:Female; D006074:Gout Suppressants / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D007249:Inflammation / Q000150:complications / Q000517:prevention & control; D007557:Israel / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017202:Myocardial Ischemia / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D015995:Prevalence; D012042:Registries; D012307:Risk Factors; D012907:Smoking / Q000009:adverse effects; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
chemical_list: D006074:Gout Suppressants; D003078:Colchicine