Risk factor profiles for atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease in black and other Africans with established rheumatoid arthritis.

Objective: Black Africans reportedly experience a distinctly low risk for atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (CVD). We investigated whether this protection was present among Africans with established rheumatoid arthritis (RA).

Methods: We determined disparities in CVD risk factor profiles (major conventional: hypertension, dyslipidemia, smoking, and diabetes; other conventional: underweight, obesity, metabolic syndrome, chronic kidney disease, alcohol consumption, tension, depression, and body height; nonconventional: rheumatoid factor status and markers of inflammation) and arterial stiffness (brachial pulse pressure) between 291 black and 335 other (229 white, 64 Asian, and 42 mixed ancestry) consecutive Africans with RA in multivariable regression models.

The need for tighter rheumatoid arthritis control in a South African public health care center.

Objective: Medical facilities are restricted in public health care centers in South Africa and patients that enroll in these centers are socioeconomically deprived. We investigated the impact of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) on disability in both a public health care and a private care center.

Methods: The disability index of the Health Assessment Questionnaire (HAQ-DI) and an extensive range of disease and non-disease-related patient characteristics were recorded in 359 RA subjects, 196 public care and 163 private care patients.

Glucocorticoids and insulin sensitivity in rheumatoid arthritis.

Objective: To evaluate the effects of glucocorticoids on cardiovascular (CV) risk in rheumatoid arthritis (RA).

Methods: We recorded demographic, clinical, disease outcome, and treatment variables in 92 consecutive RA patients who were not taking lipid-lowering or antidiabetic medications. Fasting blood tests were taken for determination of lipids, ultra sensitive C-reactive protein (CRP), rheumatoid factor, insulin, and glucose.