The risk of cardiovascular disease in patients with rheumatoid arthritis: A discussion of the link, response to treatment, and the path forward

Jennifer Ben Shimol*

Increased risk of Cardiovascular Disease (CVD) in patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) has been well established for decades and bolstered by countless studies since the 1950’s [1,2]. Numerous papers have explored the pathogenesis and have demonstrated that the systemic inflammation caused in RA increases arterial stiffness, which may result from loss of elasticity and stenosis [3,4]. The inflammation also impairs cholesterol efflux and leads to destabilization of coronary plaque, increasing the risk of rupture and infarction [5,6]. Studies have further demonstrated that active RA causes an imbalance in the dilatation and vasoconstriction of the endothelium, and enhanced residence of reactive oxygen species and proinflammatory factors within the endothelial walls, leading to barrier permeability and leakage of inflammatory mediators into the Cardiovascular (CV) tissue [7,8].

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Published on: Jun 21, 2021 Pages: 55-58

Full Text PDF Full Text HTML DOI: 10.17352/2455-2976.000170
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