Abstract
Patients with established rheumatoid arthritis (RA) have a higher cardiovascular morbidity and mortality in comparison with the general population. It is considered to be an independent risk factor for cardiovascular disease. The purpose of this article is to describe the mechanisms responsible for accelerated atherogenesis in RA patients and to give an overview of the effects of different RA therapies (methotrexate, TNF antagonists and other biologicals).
MeSH terms
-
Antirheumatic Agents / therapeutic use
-
Arthritis, Rheumatoid / complications
-
Arthritis, Rheumatoid / drug therapy
-
Arthritis, Rheumatoid / epidemiology
-
Arthritis, Rheumatoid / physiopathology*
-
Atherosclerosis / physiopathology
-
Belgium / epidemiology
-
Cardiovascular Diseases / epidemiology*
-
Cardiovascular Diseases / etiology
-
Cardiovascular Diseases / mortality
-
Cardiovascular Diseases / physiopathology*
-
Cardiovascular Diseases / prevention & control
-
Drug Therapy, Combination
-
Endothelium, Vascular / physiopathology
-
Evidence-Based Medicine
-
Humans
-
Methotrexate / therapeutic use
-
Risk Factors
-
Treatment Outcome
-
Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / antagonists & inhibitors
Substances
-
Antirheumatic Agents
-
Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha
-
Methotrexate