Correlation of Carotid Intima Media Thickness with Disease Duration and Activity of Rheumatoid Arthritis Pages 15-21

Ranjit Parinita, Midya Ayan, Das K Bidyut, Bose Arindam, Dasgupta Ankur and Nabab Nur

Department of General Medicine, Calcutta National Medical College, Indian

DOI: https://doi.org/10.12970/2311-052X.2019.07.03

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Abstract: Context: Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) patients have a higher chance of adverse cardiovascular events due to accelerated atherosclerosis. The objective of this study was to assess if there is any correlation of duration and disease activity of Rheumatoid Arthritis with carotid intima media thickness (CIMT), an efficient marker of atherosclerosis and predictor of future adverse cardiovascular events.

Aims: To look for any correlation between CIMT and disease duration and activity of Rheumatoid Arthritis.
Settings and Design: Cross-sectional observational study.

Methods and Material: Sixty patients of Rheumatoid Arthritis, diagnosed as per 2010 ACR/EULAR guideline, were divided in three groups depending on disease duration and then disease activity was measured by DAS28 scoring. Carotid intima medial thickness was measured using USG and correlation was calculated by statistical measures.

Statistical Analysis Used: Correlations between the variables were measured using Chi Square test and Pearson Correlation test.

Results: Significant statistical correlation with the haematological parameters and inflammatory parameters were found to the disease activity of RA. Disease activity of RA was also strongly correlated with dyslipidemia. Also thickened Carotid IMT was associated with older age and it was strongly associated with Rheumatoid Factor and Anti CCP positivity. Disease duration was found to be strongly correlated with thickened carotid intima media and carotid plaque in this study. Disease activity also showed similar strong correlation with carotid intima media thickness and carotid plaque.

Conclusions: Both disease duration and disease activity were strongly associated with increased CIMT and carotid plaque, marker of accelerated atherosclerosis, in RA patients.

Keywords: Carotid intima media thickness, Atherosclerosis, Duration of RA, Activity of RA. Read more