title: Coronary Artery Calcification Is Related to Inflammation in Rheumatoid Arthritis: A Long-Term Follow-Up Study.
abstract: Objective. A long-term follow-up of patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) to evaluate factors related to coronary artery calcification (CAC). Methods. All 22 eligible patients (4 males/18 females, mean age 65 years, and RA-duration 30-36 years) from the original (baseline; n = 39) study of atherosclerosis were included. Inflammation, cardiovascular risk factors, and biomarkers were measured at baseline. At follow-up 13 years later, CAC was assessed by computed tomography (CT) and the grade of inflammation was measured. Multivariate analysis of differences between patients with low (0-10) and high CAC (>10) was done by orthogonal projection to latent structures (OPLS). Results. Ten patients had CAC 0-10 and 12 had >10 (range 18-1700). Patients with high CAC had significantly higher ESR (24.3 versus 9.9 mm/h) and swollen joint count (2 versus 0). The OPLS models discriminated between patients having high or low CAC. With only baseline variables, the sensitivity was 73% and the specificity 82%. The model that also included inflammatory variables from follow-up had a sensitivity of 89% and a specificity of 85%. Exclusion of baseline intima media thickness and plaque from the latter model modestly reduced the accuracy (sensitivity 80% and specificity 83%). Conclusions. CAC is related to inflammation in patients with RA.
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health and Clinical Medicine/Rheumatology, Umeå University, 901 87 Umeå, Sweden.
authors.forename: Bengt
authors.identifier: 0000-0002-0893-2326
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Wahlin
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health and Clinical Medicine/Rheumatology, Umeå University, 901 87 Umeå, Sweden.
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Meedt
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health and Clinical Medicine, Umeå University, 901 87 Umeå, Sweden.
authors.forename: Fredrik
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Jonsson
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health and Clinical Medicine/Cardiology, Umeå University, 901 87 Umeå, Sweden.
authors.forename: Michael Y
authors.initials: MY
authors.lastname: Henein
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health and Clinical Medicine/Rheumatology, Umeå University, 901 87 Umeå, Sweden.
authors.forename: Solveig
authors.identifier: 0000-0003-1471-3944
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Wållberg-Jonsson
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001172:Arthritis, Rheumatoid / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000453:epidemiology; D015415:Biomarkers; D003324:Coronary Artery Disease / Q000097:blood / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology; D003331:Coronary Vessels / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007249:Inflammation / Q000097:blood / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012307:Risk Factors; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D061205:Vascular Calcification / Q000097:blood / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers