Endothelial dysfunction and subclinical atherosclerosis as evidenced by the measurement of flow mediated dilatation of brachial artery and carotid intima media thickness in patients with rheumatoid arthritis

Aim of the workThe present study aimed at evaluating the prevalence of subclinical atherosclerosis and cardiovascular disease by means of assessment of carotid intima media thickness and endothelium dependent function through assessment of brachial artery flow mediated dilatation in patients with rheumatoid arthritis.Materials and methodsTwenty six patients with rheumatoid arthritis and 20 healthy control subjects underwent measurement of brachial artery FMD and CIMT using B-mode gray scale US for evaluating cardiovascular risk.ResultsThe brachial artery FMD was –96.6–6.6% in rheumatoid arthritis (indicating ED), and 20–25% in the control group. The CIMT was 0.50–0.72 mm in rheumatoid arthritis and 0.35–0.47 mm in the control group.ConclusionThe results from the present study support the use of carotid US and endothelial function assessment by means of FMD as a useful tool to predict the increased risk of cardiovascular disease in patients with rheumatoid arthritis. We suggest that the carotid artery US should be performed for all patients with rheumatoid arthritis to establish the risk of cardiovascular complication which requires more aggressive therapy.