In a new study, researchers found that managing arthritis may strongly reduce heart disease risk in patients.
They found that remission in patients with rheumatoid arthritis is linked to an 80% reduction in risk of heart disease.
The study was done by a team from Italy.
Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic inflammatory disease that affects the joints, causing pain and disability.
People with this disease have a higher risk of premature death compared with the general population, mainly due to heart disease and stroke.
This is largely due to uncontrolled inflammation in these patients.
In the study, the team analyzed data from 797 patients with rheumatoid arthritis over three years.
They found that patients in remission had an 80% reduced risk of heart attack, congestive heart failure, or stroke.
In addition, there was a 75% reduced risk of lesions on arteries in patients in remission.
The finding shows that remission of rheumatoid arthritis is linked to a reduction in heart problems and emphasize the importance of more effective control of the disease.
The team also confirmed that type 2 diabetes and high blood pressure are strongly associated with heart disease risk.
The study supports the idea that systemic inflammatory processes and more traditional heart risk factors work together to increase heart disease risk in patients with rheumatoid arthritis.
It highlights the need for the effective coordination of care between rheumatologists, internists, cardiologists and primary-care physicians to optimize management of heart disease risk in patients with rheumatoid arthritis.
One author of the study is Dr. Piero Ruscitti, University of L’Aquila, L’Aquila, Italy.
The study was presented at the Annual European Congress of Rheumatology (EULAR 2019).
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