Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the most frequent cause of premature death according to data
from the American Heart Association and World Health Organization. Incidence and prevalence are
on the rise. Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) is the most common autoimmune disease. It is a chronic and
systemic disease characterized by articular involvement with deformity ranging from persistent
pain to premature disability. CVD is the most frequent cause of death in RA patients, even more
than in diabetes mellitus 2 or chronic kidney disease. Multiple CVD risk scales have been tested in
order to obtain a more accurate prediction of premature death by stroke or myocardial infarction
in RA patients. Most of the scales, even those adjusted including RA features like inflammation
and antibodies titles, have failed to properly predict the real CVD risk. Individually, RA specific
autoantibodies have been related with increased CVD risk and multiple mechanistic explanations
have arisen, generating even a new concept called “Autoimmune Atheromatosis”. Nevertheless,
this association fails to give a full understanding of the accelerated and aggressive atheromatosis
process that RA patients develop. New studies oriented to mechanistic explanations are
necessary in order to develop new diagnostic targets and prevention strategies.
Karsulovic C., C., Guerrero P. , J. ., & Goecke S., A. (2019). Artritis reumatoide y riesgo cardiovascular. Revista Hospital Clínico Universidad De Chile, 30(1), pp. 33–42. https://doi.org/10.5354/2735-7996.2019.70244
