Rheumatism damaged blood vessels

Heart attack and stroke more common in patients with rheumatoid arthritis

The approximately 800 000 people with inflammatory rheumatism in Germany are not only at risk of pain and damage their joints. Recent studies show that their risk of heart attack and stroke is markedly increased. Early treatment of rheumatism could also protect against vascular damage and its deadly consequences concerned. The German Society of Internal Medicine (DGIM) is committed to effective therapies and advises patients to avoid additional risks, such as cigarette smoke necessarily. Systemic inflammation is a major theme of the 119. Internist Congress of the 6. to 9. April 2013 takes place in Wiesbaden.

Rheumatoid arthritis, also known as rheumatoid arthritis, is one of the autoimmune diseases in which the body's own defenses attack its own healthy tissue. The attack is indeed primarily directed against the bone. However, it accompanies an inflammatory response throughout the body that pulls the blood vessels affected. "Therefore, heart attacks and strokes occur twice as common in people suffering from rheumatism to like in the rest of the population," says Professor Dr. med. Ulf Müller-Ladner, chief physician at the Kerckhoff Clinic in Bad Nauheim. The risk of heart attack of rheumatic patients is as high as diabetics.

"Even in the first years of an inflammatory joint disease, changes in the arteries can be detected with cardiological function tests," reports Müller-Ladner in the run-up to the 119th Internists' Congress. In the long term, rheumatism patients would therefore have a significantly increased risk of death if left untreated. But not only with active rheumatism is there a risk of a heart attack, according to the expert: "Even symptom-free people with a positive rheumatoid factor or increased rheumatoid-specific autoantibodies in the blood, so-called ACPA, already have an increased risk of atherosclerosis." These antibodies are a sign of an overactive immune system. If an imminent inflammatory joint disease is to be suspected, those affected should consult an internal rheumatologist.

The risks to the body from rheumatism are another reason for consistent therapy, emphasizes DGIM Congress President Professor Dr. medical Elisabeth Märker-Herman, clinic director in Wiesbaden. Newer drugs that switch off the signals of the inflammatory reaction are helpful. "We have legitimate hope that these biologics will also protect patients from heart attacks and strokes," says the rheumatism expert. Experiences from rheumatological patient registers and epidemiological studies give reason to hope that the number of heart attacks and strokes in rheumatism patients will decrease with early therapy.

Similar to diabetics, it is important for people with rheumatism that blood pressure, blood sugar and blood lipids are right. "In view of the high risk, doctors should be consistent when prescribing cholesterol-lowering drugs," demands DGIM Chair Professor Märker-Hermann. However, no rheumatic patient can rely on medication alone. Even if this is often surprising: exercise helps. In the case of rheumatism, it is also very important not to smoke cigarettes. Because tobacco smoke has a twofold negative effect here: it promotes inflammation of the joints and reduces the effectiveness of the medication.

Source: Wiesbaden [ DGIM ]