 |
|
Rheumatoid arthritis is a risk factor for cardiovascular disease
June 16, 2008Rheumatoid arthritis patients have double the risk of cardiovascular events -- comparable to that of diabetes patients
The risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) for people with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) has been found to be comparable to the risk of CVD in people with type 2 diabetes, according to the conclusions of two studies presented today at EULAR 2008, the Annual Congress of the European League Against Rheumatism in Paris, France.
At least one CV-event was reported in 8.6% of the RA population studied, a figure that was double that reported in the general population (4.3%), corresponding with an incidence of 3.14 per 100 patient/years (95% confidence interval (CI): 1.98-4.30) for RA patients, and 1.51 per 100 person/years (95%-CI: 1.18-1.84) for the general population.
In a second study, the age- and gender- adjusted prevalence odds ratios for CVD were found to be 2.3 (95%-CI: 1.3-4.0) for those with type 2 diabetes and 2.0 (95%-CI: 1.1-3.4) for those with RA, indicating a similar CVD risk for the two diseases.
Dr Mike Peters of the VU University Medical Center and Jan van Breemen Institute, Amsterdam, the Netherlands, an investigator in both studies (lead investigator: Dr Michael T Nurmohamed), said, "These two studies suggest that RA should be considered an important cardiovascular disease risk factor. Healthcare professionals treating those with the disease should therefore be aware of this elevated risk and advise their patients to follow a healthy diet and lifestyle and be alert to the early signs and symptoms of CVD in addition to managing their RA."
The studies both examined 353 randomly selected outpatients with RA (from the CARRÉ study) and participants of a population-based cohort study on diabetes and CVD (the Hoorn study). The first study compared 3-year incident CVD in both the CARRÉ and Hoorn studies, using Cox proportional hazards models. In the second, patients with normal fasting glucose levels from the CARRÉ study (n=294) were compared to individuals from the Hoorn study with a normal glucose metabolism (n=258) and individuals with type 2 diabetes (n=194). Both made adjustments for other CV risk factors, i.e. blood pressure, anti-hypertensive agent use, total cholesterol, statin use, waist to hip ratio and smoking.
European League Against Rheumatism
In a second study, the age- and gender- adjusted prevalence odds ratios for CVD were found to be 2.3 (95%-CI: 1.3-4.0) for those with type 2 diabetes and 2.0 (95%-CI: 1.1-3.4) for those with RA, indicating a similar CVD risk for the two diseases.
Dr Mike Peters of the VU University Medical Center and Jan van Breemen Institute, Amsterdam, the Netherlands, an investigator in both studies (lead investigator: Dr Michael T Nurmohamed), said, "These two studies suggest that RA should be considered an important cardiovascular disease risk factor. Healthcare professionals treating those with the disease should therefore be aware of this elevated risk and advise their patients to follow a healthy diet and lifestyle and be alert to the early signs and symptoms of CVD in addition to managing their RA."
The studies both examined 353 randomly selected outpatients with RA (from the CARRÉ study) and participants of a population-based cohort study on diabetes and CVD (the Hoorn study). The first study compared 3-year incident CVD in both the CARRÉ and Hoorn studies, using Cox proportional hazards models. In the second, patients with normal fasting glucose levels from the CARRÉ study (n=294) were compared to individuals from the Hoorn study with a normal glucose metabolism (n=258) and individuals with type 2 diabetes (n=194). Both made adjustments for other CV risk factors, i.e. blood pressure, anti-hypertensive agent use, total cholesterol, statin use, waist to hip ratio and smoking.
European League Against Rheumatism
Cardiovascular Disease Current Events and Cardiovascular Disease News RSSIntensive support programs can help hospitalized smokers stay smoke-free
Hospital-sponsored stop-smoking programs for inpatients that include follow-up counseling for longer than one month significantly improve patients' ability to stay smoke-free.
Drinking alcohol associated with smaller brain volume
The more alcohol an individual drinks, the smaller his or her total brain volume, according to a report in the October issue of Archives of Neurology, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.
Yamanaka eliminates viral vector in stem cell reprogramming
Shinya Yamanaka MD, PhD, of Kyoto University and the Gladstone Institute of Cardiovascular Disease (GICD) has taken another step forward in improving the possibilities for the practical application of induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cell technology.
Annual Report Targets Chronic Kidney Disease in the United States
A 30 percent increase in chronic kidney disease over the past decade has prompted the U.S. Renal Data System (USRDS) to issue for the first time a separate report documenting the magnitude of the disease, which affects an estimated 27 million Americans and accounts for more than 24 percent of Medicare costs.
Study: Even occasional smoking can impair arteries
Even occasional cigarette smoking can impair the functioning of your arteries, according to a new University of Georgia study that used ultrasound to measure how the arteries of young, healthy adults respond to changes in blood flow.
Anti-cancer drug prevents, reverses cardiovascular damage in mouse model of premature aging disorder
An experimental anti-cancer drug can prevent -- and even reverse -- potentially fatal cardiovascular damage in a mouse model of progeria, a rare genetic disorder that causes the most dramatic form of human premature aging, National Institutes of Health (NIH) researchers reported today.
Mentally ill smoke at 4 times the rate of general population, says University of Melbourne study
Australians with mental illness smoke at four times the rate of the general population, says a new study from the University of Melbourne.
Newly identified cells make fat
To understand where fat comes from, you have to start with a skinny mouse. By using such a creature, and observing the growth of fat after injections of different kinds of immature cells, scientists at the Howard Hughes Medical Institute and Rockefeller University have discovered an important fat precursor cell that may in time explain how changes in the numbers of fat cells might increase and lead to obesity.
Beta-blockers reduce mortality in patients with COPD after vascular surgery
In the first study to directly examine the effects of beta-blockers on surgical patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), researchers have found that, contrary to previous thought, beta-blockers significantly reduce mortality in COPD patients.
LIAI launches new division to look at novel approaches to heart disease and inflammation
While cholesterol-lowering drugs and new technologies have significantly advanced the nation's battle against heart disease, it continues to rank as the No. 1 killer of U.S. men and women. But if researchers at the La Jolla Institute for Allergy & Immunology (LIAI) have their way, the body's immune system will become an important player in reducing heart disease.
More Cardiovascular Disease Current Events and Cardiovascular Disease News Articles
 | The Treatment of Cardiovascular Diseases with Chinese Medicine by Simon Becker, Bob Flaws, Robert Casanas This comprehensive text is written specifically for the non-Western practitioner. It is designed to explain the Chinese medical disease mechanisms and treatments for cardiovascular disease and all its many complications. It covers 28 cardiovascular conditions and includes case histories, recent research, charts and graphs. This book includes both acupuncture/moxibustion therapy, Chinese herbal... |
 | Braunwald's Heart Disease: A Textbook of Cardiovascular Medicine, Single Volume With 35 new chapters as well as comprehensive updates throughout, the New Edition of the cardiology masterwork represents the most complete revision to date. Hundreds of world authorities synthesize all of the developments that are revolutionizing practicefrom the newest findings in molecular biology and genetics to the latest imaging modalities, interventional procedures, and medications. Plus,... |
 | Reverse Heart Disease Now: Stop Deadly Cardiovascular Plaque Before It's Too Late by Sinatra, James C., M.D. Roberts While most books focus solely on the role of cholesterol in heart disease, Reverse Heart Disease Now draws on new research that points to the surprising other causes. Two leading cardiologists draw on their collective fifty years of clinical cardiology research to show you how to combine the benefits of modern medicine, over-the-counter vitamins and supplements, and simple lifestyle changes to... |
| Cardiovascular Diseases And Disorders Sourcebook: Basic Consumer Health Information About Heart And Vascular Diseases And Disorders (Health Reference Series) (Health Reference Series) | |
 | Cardiovascular Health and Disease in Women This practical resource takes a close look at an emerging issue in woman's health -- the gender difference in cardiovascular disease. Health care providers involved in the care of female patients can rely on this extraordinary reference for the latest coverage of cardiovascular health and disease. The new 2nd Edition features an expanded scope that offers more information on patient care... |
 | Cardiovascular Disease in Women One of the newly emerging themes in clinical practice is the concept of 'gender specific' medicine - the realization that the pathogenesis, etiology and progression of disease often differs between the sexes. In some instances, the mechanisms underlying this phenomenon are known, in others, they remain the focus of speculation. In many cases, the impact of disease and the options for management... |
 | Stress Echocardiography - Its Role in the Diagnosis and Evaluation of Coronary Artery Disease (Developments in Cardiovascular Medicine) by T.H. Marwick Stress Echocardiography - Its Role in the Diagnosis and Evaluation of Coronary Artery Disease - Second Edition by Thomas Marwick is a concise, practical guide for anyone new to the field of stress echocardiography or an excellent summary of the existing evidence base for the experienced user. This new edition includes, in the back, a CD-ROM with images; film loops and a slide presentation. Dr.... |
 | Braunwald's Heart Disease: A Textbook of Cardiovascular Medicine, Single Volume (Heart Disease (Braunwald) (Single Vol)) by Peter Libby, Robert O. Bonow, Douglas L. Mann, Douglas P. Zipes Dr. Braunwald's masterwork returns ... bringing you the definitive guidance you need to overcome any challenge in clinical cardiology today, using the best approaches available! Hundreds of world authorities, many of them new to this edition, synthesize all of the recent developments that are revolutionizing practice - from the newest findings in molecular biology and genetics to the latest... |
 | Complementary and Integrative Therapies for Cardiovascular Disease by William H. Frishman, Michael I. Weintraub, Marc S. Micozzi Edited by a world-renowned clinical cardiologist, pharmacologist and clinical researcher, along with two major figures in complementary medicine practice, Complementary and Integrative Therapies for Cardiovascular Disease is the first text to discuss all the major Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) practices that have been used for cardiovascular disease prevention and treatment. The... |
 | Imaging in Cardiovascular Disease Univ. of Alabama, Birmingham. Comprehensively reviews the physical principles and presents the usefulness of contemporary imaging technologies in a clinically relevant and easily understood format. Describes the physical principles, limitations, major applications, and the impact of managed care. Extensive references and halftone illustrations. DNLM: Cardiovascular... |
| © 2008 BrightSurf.com |