Carotid ultrasound findings in rheumatoid arthritis and control subjects: A case-control study

Abstract

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic, inflammatory disease closely linked with atherosclerosis. Recommended cardiovascular disease (CVD) integral evaluation includes screening for asymptomatic atherosclerosis plaques with carotid ultrasound (US). The aim of this study is to evaluate the carotid US characteristics, including carotid intima media thickness (cIMT) and carotid plaque (CP), and compare RA-patients and controls in a Mexican-mestizo population.

Method: Prospective cross-sectional, observational study comparing RA-patients and matched controls without RA. Medical history and physical exam was performed in all subjects by a rheumatologist and two clinical blinded radiologists did the carotid US. Increased cIMT was defined as ≥0.9 mm. CP was defined as a focal narrowing ≥0.5 mm of the surrounding lumen or a cIMT ≥1.2 mm. Multivariable analysis was done comparing RA-patients and control subjects characteristics with carotid US.

Result: In the final analysis 209 patients were included, 103 patients with RA and 106 controls. Bilateral CP was found more than twice in RA than controls (15.5% vs 6.6%). Unilateral CP was more common in either side evaluated, being heterogeneous plaques the most common in RA-patients. The prevalence of increased cIMT was found higher in RA-patients either in both sides (right 37.9% vs 15.1%, P = 0.00; left 43.7% vs 19.8%, P = 0.00) were statistically significant.

Conclusion: It was confirmed that RA-patients have greater subclinical atherosclerosis represented in the carotid US measuring cIMT and CP as surrogates. RA-patients with subclinical atherosclerotic disease have more heterogeneous plaques characteristics.

Keywords: cardiovascular prediction algorithm; carotid intima-media thickness; carotid plaque; carotid ultrasound; rheumatoid arthritis.