title: The role of inflammation, the autonomic nervous system and classical cardiovascular disease risk factors on subendocardial viability ratio in patients with RA: a cross-sectional and longitudinal study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Evidence indicates that rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients have increased susceptibility to myocardial ischaemia that contributes to myocardial infarction. The subendocardial viability ratio (SEVR) can be measured using pulse wave analysis and reflects myocardial oxygen supply and demand. The objective of the present study was to examine specific predictors of SEVR in RA patients, with a specific focus on inflammation and classical cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors.
  
  
  METHODS
  Two patient cohorts were included in the study; a primary cohort consisting of 220 RA patients and a validation cohort of 127 RA patients. All patients underwent assessment of SEVR using pulse wave analysis. Thirty-one patients from the primary cohort who were about to start anti-inflammatory treatment were prospectively examined for SEVR at pretreatment baseline and 2 weeks, 3 months and 1 year following treatment. Systemic markers of disease activity and classical CVD risk factors were assessed in all patients.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The SEVR (mean ± standard deviation) for RA in the primary cohort was 148 ± 27 and in the validation cohort was 142 ± 25. Regression analyses revealed that all parameters of RA disease activity were associated with SEVR, along with gender, blood pressure and heart rate. These findings were the same in the validation cohort. Analysis of longitudinal data showed that C-reactive protein (P < 0.001), erythrocyte sedimentation rate (P < 0.005), Disease Activity Score in 28 joints (P < 0.001), mean blood pressure (P < 0.005) and augmentation index (P < 0.001) were significantly reduced after commencing anti-TNFα treatment. Increasing C-reactive protein was found to be associated with a reduction in SEVR (P = 0.02) and an increase in augmentation index (P = 0.001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The present findings reveal that the SEVR is associated with markers of disease activity as well as highly prevalent classical CVD risk factors in RA, such as high blood pressure and diabetes. Further prospective studies are required to determine whether the SEVR predicts future cardiac events in RA.
authors.forename: Aamer
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sandoo
authors.forename: Athanassios D
authors.initials: AD
authors.lastname: Protogerou
authors.forename: James
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hodson
authors.forename: Jacqueline P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Smith
authors.forename: Evi
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Zampeli
authors.forename: Petros P
authors.initials: PP
authors.lastname: Sfikakis
authors.forename: George D
authors.initials: GD
authors.lastname: Kitas
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000894:Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000959:Antihypertensive Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D018501:Antirheumatic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001172:Arthritis, Rheumatoid / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D001341:Autonomic Nervous System / Q000187:drug effects / Q000503:physiopathology*; D001799:Blood Sedimentation; D002097:C-Reactive Protein / Q000378:metabolism; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000503:physiopathology*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004699:Endocardium / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology; D005260:Female; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D007249:Inflammation / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000503:physiopathology*; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D011446:Prospective Studies; D063177:Pulse Wave Analysis; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012307:Risk Factors; D016019:Survival Analysis
chemical_list: D000894:Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal; D000959:Antihypertensive Agents; D018501:Antirheumatic Agents; D002097:C-Reactive Protein