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Review
. 2014 Jul 18;5(3):328-35.
doi: 10.5312/wjo.v5.i3.328.

Beyond the joint: Subclinical atherosclerosis in rheumatoid arthritis

Antongiulio Scarno  1 , Fabio Massimo Perrotta  1 , Francesca Cardini  1 , Alessia Carboni  1 , Gianmarco Annibali  1 , Ennio Lubrano  1 , Antonio Spadaro  1
Affiliations
Review

Beyond the joint: Subclinical atherosclerosis in rheumatoid arthritis

Antongiulio Scarno et al. World J Orthop. .

Abstract

Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic autoimmune inflammatory disease associated with increased cardiovascular risk and higher mortality in respect to general population. Beyond joint disease, inflammation is the major determinant of accelerated atherosclerosis observed in rheumatoid arthritis. We review the relationship between inflammation, atherosclerosis and cardiovascular risk in rheumatoid arthritis, focusing on the assessment of subclinical atherosclerosis by functional and morphological methods. These tools include flow mediated dilatation, carotid intima-media thickness, ankle/brachial index, coronary calcium content, pulse wave analysis and serum biomarker of subclinical atherosclerosis.

Keywords: Atherosclerosis; Flow mediated dilatiation; Inflammation; Intima-media thickness; Rheumatoid arthritis.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Flow mediated dilatation is based on the reactive phenomenon that occurs when arterial blood flow is restored after a period of transient arterial occlusion using a sphygmomanometer. This reactive hyperaemia is observable at ultrasound power Doppler mode monitor.
Figure 2
Figure 2
B-mode ultrasound measurement of carotid intima media thikness in patient with Rheumatoid Arthritis. aBULB: Carotid bulb; bCCA SN: Left common carotid arteria.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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