Cardiovascular comorbidity and its risk factors in rheumatoid arthritis

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is still associated with an increased mortality mainly due to an increase in cardiovascular risk. This increase is not solely explained by traditional cardiovascular risk factors but also by disease characteristics, e.g. inflammation, positive rheumatoid factor and anti-citrullinated peptide antibodies (ACPA). Control of disease activity with disease-modifying drugs (DMARDs) was shown to reduce cardiovascular risk in RA patients. Use of non-steroidal antirheumatic drugs (NSAIDs) and glucocorticoids might be associated with an increased risk. The EULAR recommendations for cardiovascular risk management in patients with rheumatoid arthritis and other forms of inflammatory arthritis have been established. These recommendations are based on national guidelines regarding control of traditional cardiovascular risk factors.