title: [Determinants of carotid subclinical atherosclerosis in patients with rheumatoid arthritis. A case-control study].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is characterized by high cardiovascular (CV) mortality, which seems related to systemic inflammation. Our aim was to quantify carotid atherosclerosis in RA and its relationship with the disease.
  
  
  METHODS
  73 RA patients and the same number of sex and age matched controls were enrolled, without history of cardiovascular events. Carotid intima-media thickness (IMT) and plaques were measured by ultrasonography. Its relationship with risk factors (RF), rheumatic disease characteristics, and inflammatory markers were analysed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Controls showed higher body mass index (BMI) and dyslipidemia. There were no differences in other risk factors or IMT. Age (p = 0.001), sex (p = 0.02), BMI (p = 0.002), waist perimeter (p = 0.001), and hypertension (p = 0.005) had a relationship with IMT. Among disease characteristics, only time elapsed since RA diagnosis was associated with IMT.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  There was not an increased carotid subclinical atherosclerosis in patients with RA, beyond the effects of classical RF.
authors.affiliation: Servicio de Medicina Interna, Hospital Universitario Príncipe de Asturias, Universidad de Alcalá, Alcalá de Henares, Madrid, España. jgarciad.hupa@salud.madrid.org
authors.forename: Juan de Dios
authors.initials: Jde D
authors.lastname: García Díaz
authors.forename: Alberto
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: López de Guzmán
authors.forename: María Isabel
authors.initials: MI
authors.lastname: Díez-Pérez de la Vacas
authors.forename: Eduardo
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Cuende Quintana
authors.forename: Ana
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sánchez Atrio
mesh_terms: D001172:Arthritis, Rheumatoid / Q000150:complications*; D002340:Carotid Artery Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence