aha guidelines for valvular heart disease

One of the most important and disturbing results of clinical research in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is the discovery that cardiovascular risk is significantly increased. Both heart attacks and strokes occur more frequently in [patients with RA â € | and they will sooner than in the general population.

The theory has been that the smoldering chronic inflammation, the mark of this disease is responsible for the development of early and aggressive atherosclerosis.

A recent study sheds light on this alarming situation. It turns out that men who have a specific blood marker, the autoantibody rheumatoid factor (RF) by itself, without themselves with rheumatoid arthritis who also have an increased risk for ischemic (atherosclerotic) heart disease.

These results were published in the October 2007 issue of the journal Heart. (Edwards, CJ, et al. Heart 2007, 93:1263-1267).

While the RF is closely associated with rheumatoid arthritis, it is also in up to 15% of all adults. Rheumatoid arthritis patients who have RF in their blood are mainly an increased risk for heart disease, compared to RA patients who do not have RF.

To determine whether RF can identify people in the population at increased risk for ischemic heart disease, Dr. CJ Edwards and his team from Southampton General Hospital studied 1156 elderly men and women.

The researchers found that 16.2% of men and 12.4% of women were positive for RF. The presence of RF was associated with about a 3-fold greater likelihood of ischemic heart disease in men.

This increased risk can not by traditional risk factors for ischemic heart disease, according to the scientist.

There was no significant association between HF and ischemic heart disease in women.

The conclusion of researchers is that the study "supports the importance of inflammation in atherosclerosis and suggests that autoimmune processes may be involved. It also raises the interesting possibility that RF may be a direct role in the pathogenesis of ischemic heart disease in some subjects. "

Authorâ € ™ s Note: The first studies that focused on the likelihood of increased cardiovascular risk in RA have, unfortunately, all too true. RA is a disease that can cause not only to disability and crippling, but a premature death as well. Long-term studies evaluating the effectiveness of newer biological treatments in reducing cardiovascular death are ongoing and the results will be interesting to see.