Cardiovascular Research and Clinical Cardiology

Biography

Biography: NAMWANJE ZULUPHER

Abstract

Concordance between the Different Cardiovascular Risk Scores in People with Rheumatoid Arthritis and Psoriasis Arthritis

Namwanje Zulpher,

^{Uganda Virus Research Institute, Uganda}

Abstract

Aim: To determine the cardiovascular risk and the concordance between the different scores in people with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and psoriatic arthritis (PsA).

Methods: Observational descriptive study of prevalence. Performed in the Rheumatology Service and the Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics Unit of the University Hospital Complex of Makerere University Medical School. Patients diagnosed with RA or PsA, older than 18 years of age were included.

Measurements: sociodemographic, anthropometric variables of the disease, comorbidity, cardiovascular risk, and therapeutic management. Results. 151 subjects (75 RA and 76 PsA) were studied. The average age was 57.9 ± 12.2 years, 61.6% being women. The average of the Charlson index was 2.8 ± 1.5. 43% were overweight. 46.5% were classified as cardiovascular risk, and the average percentage was 33.3% by Framingham. The best agreement has been between Framingham and Dorica (k = 0.709; ), classifying more than 80% of the cases in the same risk categories.

Results: The general and comorbidity characteristics are shown in Table 1. The mean age at the time of the interview was 57.9 ± 12.2 years, 61.6% being women. The mean evolution of the disease was 9.2 ± 7.6 years, and the Charlson comorbidity index was 2.8 ± 1.5. In terms of BMI, a high percentage of overweight (43%) and obesity (28.5%) was observed. 19.9% declared to be a smoker and 31.8% ex-smoker. 71.5% did not present a family history of the study pathologies (RA and PsA).

Conclusions: The most prevalent risk factors were overweight and obesity, followed by smoking and hypertension. The prevalence of patients with moderate/high cardiovascular risk varies according to the score used, the levels of concordance being the scores of Framingham and Dorica. Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and psoriatic arthritis (PsA) are two of the most prevalent rheumatic diseases which have an impact on the health system . Among the repercussions of these diseases, their relationship with an increase in cardiovascular disease (CVD) , morbidity, and mortality  stands out, owing to the role played by inflammation in both pathologies . Thus, it has been observed that the CVD condition is the main cause of death, both in people with RA and in people with PsA . In the case of RA, life expectancy has been reduced from 3 to 10 years compared with the general population . The cardiovascular risk (CVR) factors described in the literature are cholesterol, diabetes, hypertension, genetic inheritance, stress, tobacco, physical inactivity, obesity, and heart rate . The CVD establishes the probability of suffering in a given period of time, generally 5 or 10 years, a cardiovascular episode.