Prevalence of the metabolic syndrome in rheumatoid arthritis.

Objective: Patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) experience a markedly increased prevalence of cardiovascular disease (CVD), but the causal factors have yet to be completely elucidated. Metabolic syndrome (MetS) is a cluster of risk factors of CVD and identifies additional cardiovascular risk beyond the sum of its individual components. In this study, we investigated the prevalence of MetS and its possible relationship with disease-related factors in patients with RA.

Material And Methods: Fifty-two patients with RA and 30 age- and sex-matched healthy controls were studied. Adult Treatment Panel III of the National Cholesterol Education Program (NCEP-ATP III) and modified World Health Organization (WHO) criteria were used to define MetS. RA disease activity is assessed by the disease activity score of 28 joints (DAS28), and the functional status of patients was evaluated by Health Assessment Questionnaire (HAQ).

Results: Although there was no difference between groups regarding the frequency of MetS according to NCEP-ATP III criteria (17.3% and 6.5% in RA and control groups, respectively (p=0.158)) if modified WHO criteria were used, the prevalence of MetS was significantly higher in patients with RA (28.8%) than in controls (9.7%) (p=0.04). Central obesity and hypertension were found to be more frequent in patients with RA by both NCEP-ATP III and WHO criteria. RA patients with MetS had higher systolic and diastolic blood pressure, BMI and frequency of smoking than patients without MetS. Disease-related factors were similar in RA patients with or without MetS.

Conclusion: The evaluation of patients with RA for MetS, which is a multidimensional risk factor of CVD, may be beneficial.