Title

Autoimmune rheumatic diseases and premature atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease: An analysis from the VITAL registry

Document Type

Article

Department

Cardiology

Abstract

Background: Although the association between autoimmune rheumatic diseases and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease is well known, there is a lack of data regarding the role of such disorders in patients with premature and extremely premature atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease.
Methods: The VITAL registry including patients with premature (males young=1,153,535, nextremely young=441,836). We assessed whether systemic lupus erythematosus, rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, and ankylosing spondylitis were independently associated with premature and extremely premature atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease.
Results: Patients with premature and extremely premature atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease had a higher prevalence of all rheumatic diseases as compared to age-matched patients without atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease. In fully adjusted models, systemic lupus erythematosus (OR:1.69, 95% CI:1.56-1.83) and rheumatoid arthritis (OR:1.72, 95% CI:1.63-1.81) were associated with increased odds of premature atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease. Patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (OR:3.06, 95% CI:2.38-3.93) and rheumatoid arthritis (OR:2.39, 95% CI:1.85-3.08) also had a higher likelihood of extremely premature atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease.
Conclusion: Patients with systemic lupus erythematosus and rheumatoid arthritis carry higher odds of both premature and extremely premature atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease. Future studies are needed to understand the rheumatic disease-specific factors behind the development and progression of clinical atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease in these young patients.

Publication ( Name of Journal)

American Journal of Medicine

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