Characteristics of atherosclerotic plaque and the thickness of the carotid artery intima-media complex in patients with rheumatoid arthritis

Abstract

Background/Aim. Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) represents an independent risk factor for the development of cardiovascular diseases. Early detection of atherosclerotic changes is of tremendous importance in prevention of cardiovascular events. An increase in the carotid artery intima-media thickness (cIMT) is considered to be a sensitive marker of early subclinical atherosclerosis. The aim of our paper was to assess the cIMT, the number and type of carotid plaques (CP) and the severity of carotid artery stenosis in RA patients. Furthermore, we investigated the correlation between the all above mentioned parameters and disease duration and activity. Methods. The research was conducted on 92 participants - 58 RA patients and 34 control group participants. In patients with RA clinical examination and laboratory findings were used for assessing disease activity. All participants underwent color Doppler ultrasonography of carotid arteries with a linear probe. Results. The mean cIMT in RA patients was statistically significantly higher compared to the control group (0.82?0.23 mm vs 0.66?0.18 mm; p<0.01). CP were found in 34/58 RA patients (58.62%) and 4/34 (11.76%) in the control group (p<0.001). The number of CP per a patient was significantly higher in RA group compared to the control group (1.42?0.98 vs 0.18?0.38; p<0.001). The cIMT, presence and number of CP and the severity of carotid artery stenosis were not statistically significantly related to disease activity. There was a statistically significant direct correlation between duration of RA and the percentage of carotid arterial stenosis (?=0.320, p=0.034). Conclusion. The cIMT, presence and number of plaques per a patient and severity of carotid artery stenosis were significantly higher in RA patients. Also, there was a positive correlation between disease duration and severity of carotid artery stenosis. Our study showed that RA represents an independent risk factor for an increase in cIMT and the development of subclinical atherosclerosis.