Does Adding Single-Nucleotide Polymorphisms to Risk Algorithms Improve Cardiovascular Disease Risk Prediction in Rheumatoid Arthritis? An Internal and External Validation of a Clinical Risk Score.

Objective: Current risk algorithms do not accurately predict cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk in rheumatoid arthritis (RA). An area of interest is that of single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), of which several have been associated with CVD in the general population. We investigated whether these SNPs are associated with CVD in RA and whether SNPs could improve CVD risk prediction in RA.

In RA patients without prevalent CVD, incident CVD is mainly associated with traditional risk factors: A 20-year follow-up in the CARRÉ cohort study.

Objectives: To extend our investigation of cardiovascular diseases (CVD) in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients to a follow up of more than 20 years, with a special focus on patients without prevalent CVD.

Methods: The CARRÉ study is an ongoing prospective cohort study on CV endpoints in RA patients. Results were compared to those of a reference cohort (n = 2484) enriched for type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM).

NT-proBNP and sRAGE levels in early rheumatoid arthritis.

Objective: Several biomarkers of cardiovascular function are found to be increased in rheumatoid arthritis (RA), with some suggesting a relationship with disease activity and improvement with adequate anti-rheumatic treatment. Promising biomarkers include N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) and the soluble receptor form of advanced glycation end-products (sRAGE). The objective of this study was to investigate associations between NT-proBNP and sRAGE levels and markers of inflammation and disease activity in early RA patients and their changes during (effective) anti-rheumatic treatment.

Coexistent subclinical hypothyroidism is associated with an increased risk of new cardiovascular events in rheumatoid arthritis: an explorative study.

: Autoimmune thyroid disease often coexists with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and is associated with elevated cardiovascular (CV) risk. However, studies in RA patients are scarce. Our aim was to investigate whether autoimmune thyroid disease increases the risk of new cardiovascular disease (CVD) in RA.

Interferon regulatory factor 5 gene variants rs2004640 and rs4728142 are associated with carotid intima media thickness but not with cardiovascular events in rheumatoid arthritis.

Objectives: Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is associated with cardiovascular (CV) morbidity and mortality. Interferon regulatory factor 5 (IRF5) gene polymorphisms rs2004640 and rs4728142 have been associated with autoimmune diseases, but also with atherosclerosis. Differences in IRF5 gene expression can lead to the production of different interferons and might play a role in the atherogenic process in RA.

Arterial wall inflammation is increased in rheumatoid arthritis compared with osteoarthritis, as a marker of early atherosclerosis.

Objective: RA is associated with higher risk of cardiovascular (CV) disease. Ongoing systemic inflammation is presumed to accelerate atherosclerosis by increasing inflammation in the arterial wall. However, evidence supporting this hypothesis is limited.

The Effect of Anti-TNF Therapy on Cardiac Function in Rheumatoid Arthritis: An Observational Study.

Congestive heart failure (CHF) is the second most prevalent cause of death in rheumatoid arthritis (RA). The systemic inflammatory state in RA patients is deemed responsible for this finding. Anti-inflammatory treatment with anti-tumor necrosis factor (anti-TNF) therapy decreases CV risk and subsequently might improve the cardiac function by lowering the overall inflammatory state.

Cardiovascular Event Risk in Rheumatoid Arthritis Compared with Type 2 Diabetes: A 15-year Longitudinal Study.

Objective: Cardiovascular (CV) disease (CVD) risk is increased in rheumatoid arthritis (RA). However, longterm followup studies investigating this risk are scarce.

Methods: The CARRÉ (CARdiovascular research and RhEumatoid arthritis) study is a prospective cohort study investigating CVD and its risk factors in 353 patients with longstanding RA.

Noncanonical NF-κB signaling in microvessels of atherosclerotic lesions is associated with inflammation, atheromatous plaque morphology and myocardial infarction.

Background And Aims: Neovascularization is associated with atherosclerotic plaque instability and increased chance of myocardial infarction (MI). Patients with chronic inflammatory diseases (CID) have increased risk of atherosclerosis, and evidence demonstrates that NF-κB inducing kinase (NIK)-mediated noncanonical NF-κB signaling in endothelial cells (EC) is linked to inflammation and angiogenesis. Here, we hypothesized NIK may also be activated in EC of atherosclerotic lesion microvessels.

The Effects of 5-year Etanercept Therapy on Cardiovascular Risk Factors in Patients with Psoriatic Arthritis.

Objective: To investigate the effects of etanercept (ETN) on lipid metabolism and other known cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors in patients with psoriatic arthritis (PsA).

Methods: In an observational cohort of 118 consecutive patients with PsA, CVD risk factors were assessed over 5 years. Mixed-model analyses were performed to investigate the effects of ETN therapy on CVD risk factors over time.

A multi-parameter response prediction model for rituximab in rheumatoid arthritis.

Objectives: To validate the IFN response gene (IRG) set for the prediction of non-response to rituximab in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and assess the predictive performance upon combination of this gene set with clinical parameters.

Methods: In two independent cohorts of 93 (cohort I) and 133 (cohort II) rituximab-starting RA patients, baseline peripheral blood expression of eight IRGs was determined, and averaged into an IFN score. Predictive performance of IFN score and clinical parameters was assessed by logistic regression.

IL-32 promoter SNP rs4786370 predisposes to modified lipoprotein profiles in patients with rheumatoid arthritis.

Patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) are at higher risk of developing cardiovascular diseases (CVD). Interleukin (IL)-32 has previously been shown to be involved in the pathogenesis of RA and might be linked to the development of atherosclerosis. However, the exact mechanism linking IL-32 to CVD still needs to be elucidated.

EULAR recommendations for cardiovascular disease risk management in patients with rheumatoid arthritis and other forms of inflammatory joint disorders: 2015/2016 update.

Patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and other inflammatory joint disorders (IJD) have increased cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk compared with the general population. In 2009, the European League Against Rheumatism (EULAR) taskforce recommended screening, identification of CVD risk factors and CVD risk management largely based on expert opinion. In view of substantial new evidence, an update was conducted with the aim of producing CVD risk management recommendations for patients with IJD that now incorporates an increasing evidence base.

Atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease in patients with chronic inflammatory joint disorders.

Inflammatory joint disorders (IJD), including rheumatoid arthritis (RA), ankylosing spondylitis (ASp) and psoriatic arthritis (PsA), are prevalent conditions worldwide with a considerable burden on healthcare systems. IJD are associated with increased cardiovascular (CV) disease-related morbidity and mortality. In this review, we present an overview of the literature.

Vitamin D status is associated with skin autofluorescence in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus: a preliminary report.

Background: Skin autofluorescence is a non-invasive measurement of advanced glycation end products (AGE), which are suggested to be one of the major agents in the pathogenesis and progression of diabetes related cardiovascular complications. Recently, low vitamin D status has been linked to the progression of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and cardiovascular disease. The aim of this study is to investigate the association between vitamin D status and skin autofluorescence in patients with T2DM.