Possible misclassification of cardiovascular risk by SCORE in antisynthetase syndrome: results of the pilot multicenter study RI.CAR.D.A.

Objectives: To test the ability of an established traditional cardiovascular (CV) risk prediction score [Systematic COronary Risk Evaluation (SCORE)] and its EULAR modified version (mSCORE) to identify antisynthetase syndrome (ASyS) patients at high CV risk and to examine for the first time associations of CV and cerebrovascular surrogate markers with clinical and immunological ASyS parameters.

Methods: SCORE/mSCORE and the gold standard marker of aortic stiffness [carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity (cfPWV)] were examined in ASyS patients and healthy controls. Moreover, sonography of the common- (CCA) and internal- (ICA) carotid arteries was performed in subsets of both groups, evaluating carotid intima-media thickness (cIMT), plaques and Doppler sonographic cerebrovascular surrogates [resistance (RI) and pulsatility (PI) indices].

[Real World Management of Gouty Arthritis: Clinical, Epidemiological and Comorbidity Data from 4016 Patients in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany].

Background: To examine clinical, comorbidity and demographic aspects of gout and to explore the routine clinical practice of gout treatment among general practitioners (G.P.'s) in southwest Germany.