title: Cardiovascular risk management in rheumatoid arthritis patients still suboptimal: the Implementation of Cardiovascular Risk Management in Rheumatoid Arthritis project.
abstract: To assess the 10-year cardiovascular (CV) risk score and to identify treatment and undertreatment of CV risk factors in patients with established RA.
  
  
  
  Demographics, CV risk factors and prevalence of cardiovascular disease (CVD) were assessed by questionnaire. To calculate the 10-year CV risk score according to the Dutch CV risk management guideline, systolic blood pressure was measured and cholesterol levels were determined from fasting blood samples. Patients were categorized into four groups: indication for treatment but not treated; inadequately treated, so not meeting goals (systolic blood pressure ⩽140 mmHg and/or low-density lipoprotein ⩽2.5 mmol/l); adequately treated; or no treatment necessary.
  
  
  
  A total of 720 consecutive RA patients were included, 375 from Reade and 345 from the Antonius Hospital. The mean age of patients was 59 years (s.d. 12) and 73% were female. Seventeen per cent of the patients had a low 10-year CV risk (<10%), 21% had an intermediate risk (10-19%), 53% a high risk (⩾20%) and 9% had CVD. In total, 69% had an indication for preventive treatment (cholesterol-lowering or antihypertensive drugs). Of those, 42% received inadequate treatment and 40% received no treatment at all.
  
  
  
  Optimal CV risk management remains a major challenge and better awareness and management are urgently needed to reduce the high risk of CVD in the RA population.
authors.affiliation: Department of Rheumatology, Amsterdam Rheumatology and Immunology Center, Reade, Amsterdam.
authors.forename: Inge A M
authors.initials: IAM
authors.lastname: van den Oever
authors.affiliation: Department of Rheumatology, Amsterdam Rheumatology and Immunology Center, Reade, Amsterdam.
authors.forename: Maaike
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Heslinga
authors.affiliation: Department of Rheumatology, Antonius Hospital Zuidwest Friesland, Sneek.
authors.forename: Ed N
authors.initials: EN
authors.lastname: Griep
authors.affiliation: Department of Rheumatology, Antonius Hospital Zuidwest Friesland, Sneek.
authors.forename: Hanneke R M
authors.initials: HRM
authors.lastname: Griep-Wentink
authors.affiliation: Department of General Practice and Geriatric Medicine, VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam.
authors.forename: Rob
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Schotsman
authors.affiliation: Dutch Institute for Rational Use of Medicine, Utrecht.
authors.forename: Walter
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Cambach
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine.
authors.forename: Ben A C
authors.initials: BAC
authors.lastname: Dijkmans
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine.
authors.forename: Yvo M
authors.initials: YM
authors.lastname: Smulders
authors.affiliation: Department of Rheumatology, Amsterdam Rheumatology and Immunology Center, Reade, Amsterdam.|Department of Rheumatology VU University Medical Center.
authors.forename: Willem F
authors.initials: WF
authors.lastname: Lems
authors.affiliation: Department of Rheumatology, Amsterdam Rheumatology and Immunology Center, Reade, Amsterdam.|Department of Rheumatology VU University Medical Center.
authors.forename: Maarten
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Boers
authors.affiliation: Department of Rheumatology, Amsterdam Rheumatology and Immunology Center, AMC, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Alexandre E
authors.initials: AE
authors.lastname: Voskuyl
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine.
authors.forename: Mike J L
authors.initials: MJL
authors.lastname: Peters
authors.affiliation: Department of Rheumatology, Amsterdam Rheumatology and Immunology Center, Reade, Amsterdam.|Department of Rheumatology, Amsterdam Rheumatology and Immunology Center, AMC, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Dirkjan
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: van Schaardenburg
authors.affiliation: Department of Rheumatology, Amsterdam Rheumatology and Immunology Center, Reade, Amsterdam.|Department of Rheumatology VU University Medical Center.
authors.forename: Micheal T
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Nurmohamed
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000959:Antihypertensive Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001172:Arthritis, Rheumatoid / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000502:physiology; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology* / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000517:prevention & control; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000097:blood; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D019161:Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009426:Netherlands / Q000453:epidemiology; D015995:Prevalence; D018570:Risk Assessment / Q000379:methods; D012307:Risk Factors; D012308:Risk Management / Q000379:methods / Q000592:standards
chemical_list: D000959:Antihypertensive Agents; D019161:Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors; D002784:Cholesterol
keywords: cardiovascular disease; cardiovascular risk management; rheumatoid arthritis