Arthritis patients at high risk of surprise heart attack
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People
suffering from rheumatoid arthritis are at increased risk of heart disease and
about a fourth of them are likely to have a surprise heart attack, a new
research has found.
The
researchers found that the risk was increased even when patients showed no
symptoms and was independent of traditional cardiovascular risk factors such as
smoking and diabetes.
“Our study
suggests that one quarter of patients with rheumatoid arthritis and no symptoms
of heart disease could have a heart attack without prior warning,” said Adriana
Puente, cardiologist in the National Medical Centre “20 de Noviembre” ISSSTE in
Mexico City, Mexico.
The study
investigated the presence of ischaemia and infarction secondary to
atherosclerotic disease (coronary artery disease) in 91 patients with
rheumatoid arthritis and traditional cardiovascular risk factors but no
symptoms of heart disease.
Patients in
the study were 90 percent women and 59 years old on an average and had a
similar frequency of cardiovascular risk factors as the general population.
Inflammatory
markers, rheumatoid arthritis disease activity and risk factors were measured
in all patients.
“Our study
shows that one quarter of patients with rheumatoid arthritis and no symptoms of
heart disease do have coronary heart disease. This means they are at increased
risk of cardiovascular death,” Puente noted.
“Rheumatoid
arthritis affects 1.6 percent of the general population and is the first cause
of consultation in the rheumatology service. The condition nearly doubles the
risk of a heart attack but most patients never knew they had heart disease and
were never alerted about their cardiovascular risk,” Puente pointed out.
The findings
were presented at ICNC 12 held in Madrid, Spain.
