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Usefulness of Risk Scores to Estimate the Risk of Cardiovascular Disease in Patients With Rheumatoid Arthritis
The American Journal of Cardiology, 07/19/2012
Crowson CS et al. – The Framingham and Reynolds risk scores substantially underestimated cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) of both genders, especially in older ages and in patients with positive rheumatoid factor. These data underscore the need for more accurate tools to predict CVD risk in patients with RA.
Methods- The study included 525 patients with RA aged ≥30 years without previous CVD.
- The mean follow–up period was 8.4 years, during which 84 patients developed CVD.
- The observed CVD risk was 2–fold higher than the Framingham risk score predicted in women and 65% higher in men, and the Reynolds risk score revealed similar deficits.
- Patients aged ≥75 years had observed CVD risk >3 times the Framingham–predicted risk.
- Patients with positive rheumatoid factor or persistently elevated erythrocyte sedimentation rates also experienced more CVD events than predicted.
