Prevalence and Risk Factors of Cardiovascular Disease in Rheumatoid Arthritis Patients: A Comparative Analysis of Real-World Data.

Purpose: Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is linked to cardiovascular disease (CVD), due to chronic inflammation and traditional CVD risk factors. This study evaluates CVD and related risk factors in RA patients compared to age and gender-matched controls without inflammatory diseases, and differences within RA patients with and without CVD.

Patients And Methods: This retrospective case-control study reviewed medical records of 405 RA patients (cases) and 950 control patients who attended rheumatology clinics in two branches of a private hospital between January 2021 and January 2024 to assess cardiovascular disease prevalence and associated risk factors.