Atherosclerotic vascular damage and rheumatoid arthritis: a complex but intriguing link.
Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic inflammatory disease characterized by a reduced life expectancy mainly due to cardiovascular disease. In long-standing disease, it has been widely demonstrated that both traditional cardiovascular risk and disease-related factors, including chronic inflammation and immune-mediated mechanisms, play a key role in accelerating atherosclerotic damage of the arterial wall. The short- and long-term effects of immunosuppressive treatment on cardiovascular disease outcome is, however, uncertain and a multidisciplinary approach appears to represent the best management of cardiovascular risk in these patients.
Bartoloni
Elena
E
Rheumatology Unit, Department of Clinical & Experimental Medicine, University of Perugia, Perugia 06100, Italy.
Alunno
Alessia
A
Luccioli
Filippo
F
Moscatelli
Sheila
S
Biscontini
Devid
D
Santoboni
Gianluca
G
Gerli
Roberto
R
D018501:Antirheumatic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001172:Arthritis, Rheumatoid / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000276:immunology*; D050197:Atherosclerosis / Q000209:etiology / Q000276:immunology*; D004730:Endothelium, Vascular / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use
D018501:Antirheumatic Agents; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents