Science News & Science Current Events
 
Email a Friend Send to a friend
Printer Friendly Print Mayo Clinic study predicts cardiovascular disease risk for rheumatoid arthritis patients

Mayo Clinic study predicts cardiovascular disease risk for rheumatoid arthritis patients

November 08, 2007

ROCHESTER, Minn. -- People with rheumatoid arthritis have a higher risk for developing heart disease than the general population; however, it is difficult to identify which patients are at increased risk. Researchers at Mayo Clinic have developed a simple approach to predict heart disease in these patients within ten years of their initial diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis. The findings of this Mayo Clinic research study are being presented at the American College of Rheumatology Annual Scientific Meeting in Boston, Nov. 6-11, 2007.

Previous research by the Mayo Clinic team identified a link between rheumatoid arthritis patients and increased risk for heart disease. A major challenge for physicians is detection and prevention of heart disease in rheumatoid arthritis patients who show no symptoms of heart disease. The goal of this latest study is to find a way to detect the risk of heart disease earlier in patients with rheumatoid arthritis.




"Rheumatoid arthritis sufferers are dealing with significant pain and stress, therefore cardiovascular disease prevention may be delayed," says Hilal Maradit Kremers, M.D., lead study investigator and research associate in the Mayo Clinic Department of Health Sciences Research, "Our findings indicate that evaluation of cardiovascular risk based on risk factor profiles of individual patients can help physicians identify high risk rheumatoid arthritis patients and assist with decisions concerning cardiovascular disease prevention."

Mayo Clinic researchers estimated the 10-year absolute risk of cardiovascular disease in a group of 553 patients diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis and compared them with 574 patients of the same age and gender who did not have rheumatoid arthritis. The researchers collected detailed information about all study subjects' cardiac events and their traditional cardiovascular risk factors: diabetes, blood pressure, cholesterol, body mass index and smoking.

Using absolute risk analysis methods, researchers discovered that 85 percent of those 60 to 69 year olds who were newly diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis patients had a 1 in 5 chance of developing a serious cardiovascular event, compared to only 40 percent of patients who did not have rheumatoid arthritis. In each age group, cardiovascular risk in rheumatoid arthritis patients was similar to that of nonrheumatoid arthritis subjects who were 5-10 years older.

"These results emphasize the importance of performing a comprehensive cardiovascular risk assessment for all newly diagnosed rheumatoid arthritis patients," says Sherine Gabriel, M.D., the study's senior author and Mayo Clinic rheumatologist and epidemiologist.

Mayo Clinic



Related Rheumatoid Arthritis Current Events and Rheumatoid Arthritis News Articles Rheumatoid Arthritis Current Events and Rheumatoid Arthritis News RSS Rheumatoid Arthritis Current Events and Rheumatoid Arthritis News RSS
Discovery of natural compounds that could slow blood vessel growth
Using computer models and live cell experiments, biomedical engineers at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine have discovered more than 100 human protein fragments that can slow or stop the growth of cells that make up new blood vessels.

UCR researchers propose minocycline as a promising drug for patients with Fragile X syndrome
A UC Riverside-led team of biomedical scientists has found that a readily available drug called minocycline, used widely to treat acne and skin infections, can be used to treat Fragile X syndrome, the most common inherited cause of mental impairment and the most common cause of autism.

New study proves that pain is not a symptom of arthritis, pain causes arthritis
Pain is more than a symptom of osteoarthritis, it is an inherent and damaging part of the disease itself, according to a study published today in journal Arthritis and Rheumatism.

Working environment is 1 cause of rheumatoid arthritis
It has long been known that environmental factors play a part in the development of rheumatoid arthritis; smoking and drinking alcohol, along with heredity, are particularly instrumental in increasing the risk of the disease.

The prevalence of hepatitis B virus infection in inflammatory bowel disease patients
Patients with IBD have high risk of infection by hepatitis viruses B or C because during the course of their disease, they need blood transfusions, and sometimes surgical and endoscopic procedures for diagnosis and treatment.

Inflammatory response to infection and injury may worsen dementia
Inflammation in the brain resulting from infection or injury may accelerate the progress of dementia, research funded by the Wellcome Trust suggests.

Gender differences in experience of rheumatism
Rheumatoid arthritis is often a more painful experience for women than it is for men, even though the visible symptoms are the same.

Loss of sleep, even for a single night, increases inflammation in the body
Loss of sleep, even for a few short hours during the night, can prompt one's immune system to turn against healthy tissue and organs.

Bone marrow stem cells may help control inflammatory bowel disease
Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) investigators have found that infusions of a particular bone marrow stem cell appeared to protect gastrointestinal tissue from autoimmune attack in a mouse model.

Researchers discover how rheumatoid arthritis causes bone loss
Researchers have discovered key details of how rheumatoid arthritis (RA) destroys bone, according to a study published in the Aug. 22 edition of the Journal of Biological Chemistry.
More Rheumatoid Arthritis Current Events and Rheumatoid Arthritis News Articles


The First Year: Rheumatoid Arthritis: An Essential Guide for the Newly Diagnosed (First Year, The)
by M.E.A. McNeil

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA), a disease characterized by inflammation of the joints, is one of the most disabling forms of arthritis and affects over two million people in the United States. Without proper treatment it can lead to long-term joint damage, chronic pain, loss of function, and disability. From the first moment of her diagnosis, author M.E.A. McNeil took charge and educated herself on...



Living with Rheumatoid Arthritis (Johns Hopkins Press Health Book)
by Tammi L. Shlotzhauer, James L. McGuire

A trusted guide and an invaluable resource, Living with Rheumatoid Arthritis offers practical advice for the millions of people coping with this painful disease. Now thoroughly revised and expanded, in a second edition, this book brings readers up to date with the latest methods of diagnosis and treatment.Building on their accessible explanation of the disease and its causes, the authors describe...



Conquering Rheumatoid Arthritis: The Latest Breakthroughs and Treatments
by Thomas F. Lee



Water Exercises for Rheumatoid Arthritis: The Effective Way to Reduce Pain and Inflammation While Increasing Flexibility and Mobility
by Ann A. Rosenstein

Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disease affecting 2 million people. Symptoms differ from person to person but the most common symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis are inflamed joints, pain, stiffness of the joints, and a feeling of the joints being on fire.Water Exercises for Rheumatoid Arthritis explains how water exercise helps relieve the pains and restrictions caused by rheumatoid...



The Arthritis Foundation's Guide to Good Living with Rheumatoid Arthritis, 3rd Edition (Arthritis Foundation's Guide to Good Living with Rheumatoid Arthriti)
by Dorothy Foltz-Gray

From the Arthritis Foundation, a trusted source of health information and guidance for more than 50 years, Good Living With Rheumatoid Arthritis, 3rd Edition, explains new research and treatments in clear, simple language. Readers will learn how to be proactive patients, how to stretch daily to reduce pain and increase flexibility, and how to judge the many over-the-counter drugs and supplements...



Conquering Arthritis: What Doctors Don't Tell You Because They Don't Know: 9 Secrets I Learned the Hard Way
by Barbara D. Allan

This book provides hard-earned, practical, detailed information that is critical for successful healing of arthritis, but that has never before been collected in one book. Without this information many people with arthritis will not get well. The information is organized into a well-researched, easy-to-follow plan for getting well again and includes case histories of people with dramatic and...



The Arthritis Foundation's Guide to Good Living With Rheumatoid Arthritis, 2nd Edition (Arthritis Foundation's Guide to Good Living with Rheumatoid Arthriti)
by Arthritis Foundation

Everything you need to know to fight RA is in this book--powerful new drugs, new surgical techniques, easy exercises to restore flexibility and alternative therapies to ease your...



Rheumatoid Arthritis: Plan to Win
by Cheryl Koehn, Taysha Palmer, John Esdaile M.D.

Nearly 3 million Americans suffer from rheumatoid arthritis, a painful, incurable connective-tissue disease that attacks the hands and feet as well as the joints and may lead to deformities and permanent disabilities. Rheumatoid Arthritis: Plan to Win offers an inspiring, scientifically based game plan for minimizing the effects of this chronic illness, and ultimately, achieving optimal health. ...



The New Arthritis Breakthrough: The Only Medical Therapy Clinically Proven to Produce Long-term Improvement and Remission of RA, Lupus, Juvenile RS, Fibromyalgia, ... & Other Inflammatory Forms of Arthritis
by Henry Scammell

...can be miraculous for rheumatoid arthritis sufferers.-- Health & Healing, Tomorrow's Medicine...



Rheumatoid Arthritis: The Infection Connection {Targeting and Treating the Cause of Chronic Illness}
by Katherine M. Poehlmann

Foreword by Dr. Harold W. Clark, author of "Why Arthritis?" Appendices by Dr. Joseph Mercola (mercola.com) and Dr. Garth Nicolson (Institute for Molecular Medicine) Definitions of terms ****************************** EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW BEFORE CONSULTING YOUR DOCTOR! ****************************** A research scientist and former arthritis sufferer outlines a proven...

© 2008 BrightSurf.com