Feasibility of cardiovascular disease risk assessments in rheumatology outpatient clinics: experiences from the nationwide NOCAR project.

Objective: The European League Against Rheumatism recommends implementing cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk assessments for patients with inflammatory joint diseases (IJDs) into clinical practice. Our goal was to design a structured programme for CVD risk assessments to be implemented into routine rheumatology outpatient clinic visits.

Methods: The NOrwegian Collaboration on Atherosclerosis in patients with Rheumatic joint diseases (NOCAR) started in April 2014 as a quality assurance project including 11 Norwegian rheumatology clinics.

Guideline recommended treatment to targets of cardiovascular risk is inadequate in patients with inflammatory joint diseases.

Objectives: Patients with inflammatory joint diseases (IJD) have an increased risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD). Our goal was to examine indications for, and use of, lipid-lowering therapy (LLT) and antihypertensive treatment (AntiHT) in patients with IJD. Furthermore, to investigate the frequency of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-c) and blood pressure (BP) goal attainment among IJD patients.

Discrepancies in risk age and relative risk estimations of cardiovascular disease in patients with inflammatory joint diseases.

Objective: The European guidelines on cardiovascular disease (CVD) prevention advise use of relative risk and risk age algorithms for estimating CVD risk in patients with low estimated absolute risk. Patients with inflammatory joint diseases (IJD) are associated with increased risk of CVD. We aimed to estimate relative risk and risk age across IJD entities and evaluate the agreement between 'cardiovascular risk age' and 'vascular age models'.

Achilles enthesitis defined by ultrasound is not associated with clinical enthesitis in patients with psoriatic arthritis.

Objective: To compare clinical and ultrasonographic (US) evaluation of Achilles enthesitis in patients with psoriatic arthritis (PsA).

Methods: The Achilles insertion of outpatients with PsA was examined by clinical assessment of tenderness and US evaluation of (1) inflammatory activity (defined as the presence of power Doppler signal, tendon thickening and/or hypoechogenicity) and (2) structural damage (defined as the presence of erosions, calcifications and/or enthesophytes). Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed0.

Cardiovascular disease risk profiles in inflammatory joint disease entities.

Background: Patients with inflammatory joint diseases (IJD) have increased risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD). Our aim was to compare CVD risk profiles in patients with IJD, including rheumatoid arthritis (RA), axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA) and psoriatic arthritis (PsA) and evaluate the future risk of CVD.

Methods: The prevalence and numbers of major CVD risk factors (CVD-RFs) (hypertension, elevated cholesterol, obesity, smoking, and diabetes mellitus) were estimated in patients with RA, axSpA and PsA.

Need for Improvement in Current Treatment of Psoriatic Arthritis: Study of an Outpatient Clinic Population.

Objective: To explore the burden of skin, joint, and entheses manifestations in a representative psoriatic arthritis (PsA) outpatient cohort in the biologic treatment era.

Methods: This was a cross-sectional study of 141 PsA outpatients fulfilling the ClASsification for Psoriatic ARthritis (CASPAR) criteria and examined between January 2013 and May 2014. Selected disease activity measures were explored including Disease Activity index for PSoriatic Arthritis (DAPSA), Composite Psoriatic Disease Activity Index (CPDAI), Psoriatic Arthritis Disease Activity Score (PASDAS), Disease Activity Score for 28 joints (DAS28), Simplified Disease Activity Index (SDAI), and Psoriasis Area Severity Index (PASI).

Ultrasonographic evaluation in psoriatic arthritis is of major importance in evaluating disease activity.

Objective: To investigate the association between clinical and ultrasonographic (US) evidence of inflammation in psoriatic arthritis (PsA), as well as to compare clinical and US remission criteria.

Methods: In this cross-sectional study 141 PsA outpatients were included. Minimal disease activity (MDA), 28-joint Disease Activity Score (DAS28), Disease Activity Index for PSoriatic Arthritis (DAPSA) and modified versions of Composite Psoriatic Disease Activity Index (CPDAI) and Psoriatic ArthritiS Disease Activity Score (PASDAS) were assessed.

Ten years of change in clinical disease status and treatment in rheumatoid arthritis: results based on standardized monitoring of patients in an ordinary outpatient clinic in southern Norway.

Introduction: In the new millennium, clinical outcomes in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) have improved. Despite a large number of register data, there is a lack of data reflecting the entire outpatient RA population, and in particular long-term data. The main aim of this study was to explore changes in clinical disease status and treatment in an RA outpatient clinic population monitored with recommended outcome measures over a 10-year period.

First step in the development of an ultrasound joint inflammation score for rheumatoid arthritis using a data-driven approach.

Objectives: To develop and validate candidate sets of joints and tendons for assessment of ultrasound (US) joint inflammation in rheumatoid arthritis (RA).

Methods: Patients were included in one of two cohorts from 2010 to June 2013: disease-modifying antirheumatic drug naïve early RA or established RA starting/switching biologics. An extensive US examination was performed by experienced sonographers using a validated grey-scale (GSUS) and power Doppler (PDUS) semiquantitative scoring system with scores 0-3 for both GSUS and PDUS in 36 joints and four tendons.

A comparison of disease burden in rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis and axial spondyloarthritis.

Objective: The main objective of this study was to compare disease burden in rheumatoid arthritis (RA), psoriatic arthritis (PsA) and axial spondyloarthritis (ax-SpA).

Methods: In this cross-sectional study, all the RA (1093), PsA (365) and ax-SpA (333) patients who visited the out-patient clinic of the Hospital of Southern Norway Trust during the year 2013 were included; the RA patients all had a RA diagnosis verified by the treating rheumatologist, the PsA patients all fulfilled the ClASsification for Psoriatic ARthritis (CASPAR) criteria and the ax-SpA patients all fulfilled the Assessment of SpondyloArthritis international Society (ASAS) classification criteria for ax-SpA. Patient-reported health status, demographic variables, medications, and composite scores of disease activity were assessed.

EULAR task force recommendations on annual cardiovascular risk assessment for patients with rheumatoid arthritis: an audit of the success of implementation in a rheumatology outpatient clinic.

Objective: EULAR recommendations for cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk management include annual CVD risk assessments for patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). We evaluated the recording of CVD risk factors (CVD-RF) in a rheumatology outpatient clinic, where EULAR recommendations had been implemented. Further, we compared CVD-RF recordings between a regular rheumatology outpatient clinic (RegROC) and a structured arthritis clinic (AC).

Diagnostic value of color Doppler ultrasonography of temporal arteries and large vessels in giant cell arteritis: a consecutive case series.

Objective: Color Doppler ultrasonography (CDUS) can detect inflammation in the vessel wall. No studies have evaluated the examination of the common carotid artery by CDUS in the diagnostics of giant cell arteritis (GCA). Our aim was to evaluate the combination of CDUS examination of the temporal, axillary, and common carotid arteries in the diagnosis of GCA.

Short term in-patient rehabilitation in axial spondyloarthritis - the results of a 2-week program performed in daily clinical practice.

Background: From a health service perspective, society, with its limited resources, needs to be reassured that evidence-based medicine is also effective when carried out in the frame of ordinary clinical practice. The effectiveness of rehabilitation programs in ankylosing spondylitis (AS) has been proven to be effective in clinical trials. However, less is known when this is carried out in clinical practice.

Similar clinical outcomes in rheumatoid arthritis with more versus less expensive treatment strategies. Observational data from two rheumatology clinics.

Objectives: Selection of efficacious medications for rheumatoid arthritis (RA) has tremendously increased over a decade including new costly biologic agents and inexpensive conventional anti-rheumatic drugs, used in combinations for more efficacy. Treatments aim at remission or at least low disease activity. Our objective was to study whether treatment target is reached and to what cost, in patients with RA in two Nordic rheumatology clinics.