Cardiovascular disease--the silent killer in rheumatoid arthritis.
Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a multisystem disease with high rates of morbidity and mortality. In recent years, there has been increasing focus on the growing rates of cardiovascular disease (CVD) in RA, over and above expected levels allowing for 'traditional' risk factors. In this paper the impact of CVD in RA, the relative contributions of traditional risk factors and novel risk factors (including homocysteine, oxidised low-density lipoprotein, high-sensitivity C-reactive protein and leptin), and the need to address cardiovascular risk in the fight against premature death from coronary artery and stroke disease in RA are discussed.
Kumar
Namita
N
University Hospital of North Durham, Durham.
Armstrong
David J
DJ
D001172:Arthritis, Rheumatoid / Q000453:epidemiology*; D002097:C-Reactive Protein / Q000032:analysis; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology*; D008078:Cholesterol, LDL / Q000097:blood; D015897:Comorbidity; D003324:Coronary Artery Disease / Q000453:epidemiology; D004730:Endothelium, Vascular / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D006710:Homocysteine / Q000097:blood; D006801:Humans; D020738:Leptin / Q000502:physiology
D008078:Cholesterol, LDL; D020738:Leptin; D006710:Homocysteine; D002097:C-Reactive Protein