Heart attack warning for arthritis sufferers

PEOPLE with arthritis are far more likely to suffer a sudden heart attack, warns a new study.

Researchers found one in four patients with rheumatoid arthritis could suffer a heart attack without any prior warning.

The study showed the risk was increased even when arthritics had no symptoms, and was independent of traditional cardiovascular risk factors such as smoking and diabetes.

Dr Adriana Puente, a cardiologist in the National Medical Centre in Mexico, said: “Our study suggests that one-quarter of patients with rheumatoid arthritis and no symptoms of heart disease could have a heart attack without prior warning.

“Rheumatoid arthritis affects 1.6 per cent of the general population. The condition nearly doubles the risk of a heart attack, but most patients never knew they had heart disease and were never alerted about their cardiovascular risk.”

The study investigated the presence of coronary artery disease in 91 patients with rheumatoid arthritis and traditional cardiovascular risk factors but no symptoms of heart disease.

Inflammatory “markers”, rheumatoid arthritis disease activity and risk factors were measured in all patients.

The researchers found that 55 per cent of patients had dyslipidemia, or high blood lipids (cholesterol and/or fat), 32 per cent had high blood pressure, 14 per cent were smokers and 10 per cent had type-2 diabetes. Nearly a quarter (24 per cent) had coronary heart disease.

Dr Puente said: “Our study shows one-quarter of patients with rheumatoid arthritis and no symptoms of heart disease do have coronary heart disease. This means they are at increased risk of cardiovascular death.”

Dr Puente concluded: “Patients with rheumatoid arthritis should be told that they have an elevated predisposition to heart disease.”