Comparison of cardiovascular risk in ankylosing spondylitis and rheumatoid arthritis.
Cardiovascular co-morbidity is now a recognised complication of chronic inflammation and an elevated acute phase response predisposes to hypertension, stroke and myocardial infarction. Dyslipidaemia is a feature of inflammatory joint diseases and is closely related to elevated CRP and Il-6 levels. Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) has an increased standardised mortality ratio largely attributable to cardiovascular risk. An increased although lesser, cardiovascular morbidity has also been observed in ankylosing spondylitis (AS) which has a similar abnormal lipid profile to that seen in RA. There is some evidence that therapeutic agents such as anti-tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) drugs that down-regulate the acute phase response, also have an effect in reducing cardiovascular complications in RA and AS.
McCarey
D
D
Centre for Rheumatic Diseases, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, United Kingdom.
Sturrock
R D
RD
D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000627:therapeutic use; D018501:Antirheumatic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001172:Arthritis, Rheumatoid / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000378:metabolism; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000378:metabolism; D015897:Comorbidity; D016207:Cytokines / Q000378:metabolism; D050171:Dyslipidemias / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D024821:Metabolic Syndrome / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000378:metabolism; D012307:Risk Factors; D013167:Spondylitis, Ankylosing / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000378:metabolism; D013585:Synovitis / Q000378:metabolism; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors
D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D018501:Antirheumatic Agents; D016207:Cytokines; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha