Coronary Artery Calcification Is Related to Inflammation in Rheumatoid Arthritis: A Long-Term Follow-Up Study

Abstract EN

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.