Data from >160,000 postmenopausal women included in the Women's Health Initiative indicate that women with RA are at 1.5–2.5-fold higher risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) morbidity and mortality over 10 years compared with women without RA (outcomes assessed included coronary heart disease, stroke, CVD, fatal CVD and total mortality). Positivity for anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide (anti-CCP) antibodies or rheumatoid factor was not associated with a higher risk of any outcomes, despite the slightly higher risk of fatal CVD and death for individuals with anti-CCP+ versus anti-CCP− RA. Severity of joint pain and CVD risk factors were strongly associated with CVD risk, even in women without RA.
References
Mackey, R. H. et al. Rheumatoid arthritis, anti-CCP positivity, and cardiovascular disease risk in the Women's Health Initiative. Arthritis Rheumatol. 10.1002/art.39198
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Link between RA and cardiovascular disease risk. Nat Rev Rheumatol 11, 382 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1038/nrrheum.2015.77
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/nrrheum.2015.77
