Lower limb arterial incompressibility and obstruction in rheumatoid arthritis.
BACKGROUND
Despite increased cardiovascular morbidity and mortality in rheumatoid arthritis, the peripheral arteries remain understudied.


OBJECTIVE
To examine the lower limb arteries in age and sex matched, non-smoking subjects with and without rheumatoid arthritis.


METHODS
The ankle-brachial index (ABI) was measured at the posterior tibial and dorsal pedal arteries. Arteries were classified as obstructed with ABI < or =0.9, normal with ABI >0.9 but < or =1.3, and incompressible with ABI >1.3. Multinomial logistic regression was used to estimate differences in ABI between patients and controls, adjusting for cardiovascular risk factors, rheumatoid arthritis manifestations, inflammation markers, and glucocorticoid dose.


RESULTS
234 patients with rheumatoid arthritis and 102 controls were studied. Among the rheumatoid patients, 66 of 931 arteries (7%) were incompressible and 30 (3%) were obstructed. Among the controls, three of 408 arteries (0.7%) were incompressible (p = 0.002) and four (1%) were obstructed (p = 0.06). At the person level, one or more abnormal arteries occurred among 45 rheumatoid patients (19%), v five controls (5%, p = 0.001). The greater frequency of arterial incompressibility and obstruction in rheumatoid arthritis was independent of age, sex, and cardiovascular risk factors. Adjustment for inflammation markers, joint damage, rheumatoid factor, and glucocorticoid use reduced rheumatoid arthritis v control differences. Most arterial impairments occurred in rheumatoid patients with 20 or more deformed joints. This subgroup had more incompressible (15%, p< or =0.001) and obstructed arteries (6%, p = 0.005) than the controls, independent of covariates.


CONCLUSIONS
Peripheral arterial incompressibility and obstruction are increased in rheumatoid arthritis. Their propensity for patients with advanced joint damage suggests shared pathogenic mechanisms.
Division of Clinical Immunology and Rheumatology, The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, Texas 78229, USA. delrincon@uthscsa.edu
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D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001157:Arterial Occlusive Diseases / Q000209:etiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D001172:Arthritis, Rheumatoid / Q000150:complications* / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D001794:Blood Pressure; D001916:Brachial Artery / Q000503:physiopathology; D002114:Calcinosis / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000209:etiology; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D004548:Elasticity; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007866:Leg / Q000098:blood supply*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016491:Peripheral Vascular Diseases / Q000209:etiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D012307:Risk Factors; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013314:Stress, Mechanical