Speaker Credentials
OMS-II
Speaker Credentials
BS
College
Dr. Kiran C. Patel College of Osteopathic Medicine, DO
Medical Specialty
Internal Medicine
Format
Poster
Start Date
November 2024
End Date
November 2024
Track
1
Abstract
Objective: To assess the need of coronary artery calcium scoring (CACS) in the standardized management of patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) for early identification, prevention of coronary artery obstruction and complications. Background: Worldwide, RA is a leading inflammatory arthropathy. The musculoskeletal impacts of RA are well known; however, the inflammatory nature of the disease extends beyond the joint synovium. The cardiovascular system is the most impacted and the leading cause of death. Recently, CACS has become a popular method to analyze the calcifications within the coronary vessels. Methods: A review was performed using CINHAL, OVID, EMBASE, and Web of Science. A total of 305 articles were screened, with 11 articles included. The studies were considered eligible if they conducted CT coronary angiography on RA patients with no previous cardiovascular disease and without any previous/current usage of lipid-lowering medications. Results: 1141 patients with RA, with a mean disease duration of 127.7 months. The majority of patients were females, 78.4%, with a mean age of 56.9. 59.3% of RA patients reported an elevated CAC score above 0, which indicates calcified plaque deposits in the coronary vessels and of those, 40% were found to have moderate to severe calcification. Conclusions: As medicine shifts to a preventative rather than a reactive focus, it is crucial to alter clinical practice guidelines to include monitoring for systemic impacts, especially within the cardiovascular system. These findings suggest a high prevalence of coronary artery calcification in RA patients, which underscores the need for proactive monitoring and preventive measures.
Included in
Coronary Artery Calcification in Rheumatoid Arthritis Patients
Objective: To assess the need of coronary artery calcium scoring (CACS) in the standardized management of patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) for early identification, prevention of coronary artery obstruction and complications. Background: Worldwide, RA is a leading inflammatory arthropathy. The musculoskeletal impacts of RA are well known; however, the inflammatory nature of the disease extends beyond the joint synovium. The cardiovascular system is the most impacted and the leading cause of death. Recently, CACS has become a popular method to analyze the calcifications within the coronary vessels. Methods: A review was performed using CINHAL, OVID, EMBASE, and Web of Science. A total of 305 articles were screened, with 11 articles included. The studies were considered eligible if they conducted CT coronary angiography on RA patients with no previous cardiovascular disease and without any previous/current usage of lipid-lowering medications. Results: 1141 patients with RA, with a mean disease duration of 127.7 months. The majority of patients were females, 78.4%, with a mean age of 56.9. 59.3% of RA patients reported an elevated CAC score above 0, which indicates calcified plaque deposits in the coronary vessels and of those, 40% were found to have moderate to severe calcification. Conclusions: As medicine shifts to a preventative rather than a reactive focus, it is crucial to alter clinical practice guidelines to include monitoring for systemic impacts, especially within the cardiovascular system. These findings suggest a high prevalence of coronary artery calcification in RA patients, which underscores the need for proactive monitoring and preventive measures.