Increased arterial stiffness in rheumatoid arthritis and Its relation to disease activity: A cross sectional study.

Background: Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is associated with elevated plasma level of inflammatory markers. Chronic inflammation is known to predispose to endothelial dysfunction and increased arterial stiffness, which is an important marker of subclinical atherosclerosis and increased cardiovascular risk.

Objective: The aim is to test for the relationship between disease activity and arterial stiffness in RA patients.