Inflammation and rheumatoid arthritis disease (a chronic disease that causes pain, stiffness, swelling, and limitation in the motion and function of multiple joints) activity may contribute to the progression of atherosclerosis in people with rheumatoid arthritis . Limiting inflammation would mean patients have fewer cardiovascular events like myocardial infarction and stroke. Patients who used anti-TNF treatment had lower rate of progression of intima thickness, a marker for atherosclerosis. Physicians found that prednisone is associated with progression of atherosclerosis. Therefore medications like TNF inhibitors and statins can be taken to lower cholesterol and atherosclerosis progression. A high c-reactive protein may suggest more risk for cholesterol plaque.
Study:
Longitudinal Predictors of Progression of Subclinical Carotid Atherosclerosis in Rheumatoid Arthritis.
http://www.jrheum.org/content/37/4/730.abstract
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