Cardiovascular risk factors in patients with rheumatoid arthritis prescribed disease modifying anti-rheumatic drugs.

Cardiovascular risk factors in patients with rheumatoid arthritis prescribed disease modifying anti-rheumatic drugs. Expert Opin Drug Saf. 2018 Jun 06;: Authors: Giollo A, Bissell LA, Buch MH Abstract INTRODUCTION: Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is associated with a heightened risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD), with both traditional CV risk factors and inflammation contributing to this risk. Areas covered: This review highlights the burden of CVD in RA and associated traditional CV risk factors, including the complexity of dyslipidaemia in RA and the so-called 'lipid paradox'. Furthermore, the recognised RA disease specific factors associated with higher risk of CVD and the role of systemic inflammation in the pathogenesis of CVD in RA will be addressed. With the advent of biologic and targeted synthetic therapies in the treatment of RA, the effect of conventional and newer generation disease modifying anti-rheumatic therapies (DMARDs) on CV risk and associated risk factors will also be discussed. Expert opinion: Identifying the RA phenotype at greatest risk of CVD, understanding the interplay of increased traditional risk factors, common inflammatory processes and RA-specific factors, and personalised use of DMARDs according to disease phenotype and co-morbidity to reduce this risk are key areas for future research. PMID: 29871535 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]
Source: Expert Opinion on Drug Safety - Category: Drugs & Pharmacology Tags: Expert Opin Drug Saf Source Type: research