joints, and higher presence of inflammatory markers for example). Group A also showed increased use of steroids and lower use of biologics.
“[We] observed higher rates of traditional [cardiovascular] risk factors, including obesity, diabetes, hypertension, dyslipidemia, compared to the White RA cohort. Our population had more aggressive disease with higher rates of seropositivity, joint narrowing/erosions and elevated inflammatory markers. The combination of higher rates of traditional and RA-specific risk factors confers on our patients a high risk for [cardiovascular] events. Our RA population characteristics require therapeutic interventions to address disease control and targeted management of comorbidities that involve revised risk stratification aiming at reducing [cardiovascular] morbidity and mortality in this highly vulnerable population,” the study researchers concluded.
The study is not without limits. The data collected was retrospective in nature. There were also no available measurements for rheumatoid arthritis-specific disease activity parameters, ischemic vs. hemorrhagic stroke, cardiac involvement data, survival outcomes, or therapeutic intervention response.
Reference
McFarlane IM, Zhaz Leon SY, Bhamra MS, et al. Assessment of cardiovascular disease risk and therapeutic patterns among urban black rheumatoid arthritis patients. Med Sci (Basel). 2019; 7(2):31.