title: Subclinical femoral atheromatosis in rheumatoid arthritis: comparable prevalence to diabetes mellitus in a case-control study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is associated with increased coronary artery disease (CAD) and subclinical carotid atheromatosis, reportedly to equal diabetes mellitus (DM). The presence of atheromatic plaques in femoral arteries of RA patients without DM was compared with with DM patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  Femoral plaques were recorded in 30 (17 men, age 43.0±12 years, disease duration 9.9±7.1 years) and 60 older RA patients (27 men, age 63.0±7.1 years, disease duration 11.4±7.9 years) matched 1:1 for age, gender and disease duration with DM types 1 and 2 patients, respectively. All were asymptomatic and free of CAD.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The number of femoral plaques per patient in either RA subgroup was comparable with DM (0.64±0.82 vs 0.77±0.89 in total respective populations, p=0.340); percentages of patients with femoral plaques were also comparable (RA vs DM type 1 20% and 13%, respectively; RA vs DM type 2 58% and 66%, respectively). Hypertension and dyslipidaemia were significantly more frequent in both DM groups than RA groups.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Subclinical femoral atheromatosis in RA is analogous to DM, further confirming the territorial unrestricted acceleration of the atheromatic process in these patients. Cardiovascular risk stratification based on both carotid and femoral plaque detection in RA should be addressed prospectively.
authors: First Department of Propaedeutic and Internal Medicine, Medical School, University of Athens, 'Laikon' Hospital, Ag. Thoma, 17, 11527 Athens, Greece.
authors: Athanase
authors: A
authors: Protogerou
authors: Evangelia
authors: E
authors: Zampeli
authors: Nikos
authors: N
authors: Tentolouris
authors: Kostas
authors: K
authors: Makrilakis
authors: George
authors: G
authors: Kitas
authors: Petros P
authors: PP
authors: Sfikakis
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001172:Arthritis, Rheumatoid / Q000150:complications*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D048909:Diabetes Complications / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005260:Female; D005263:Femoral Artery / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D058226:Plaque, Atherosclerotic / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D015995:Prevalence