Does RA-related inflammation induce cardiovascular disease?

2004 FEB 9 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Inflammatory activity may play a key role in the development of cardiovascular disease in RA patients.

"There is intense interest in mechanisms whereby low-grade inflammation could interact with conventional and novel vascular risk factors to promote the atheromatous lesion," scientists in Scotland noted. "Patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), who by definition manifest persistent high levels of inflammation, are at greater risk of developing cardiovascular disease. Mechanisms mediating this enhanced risk are ill defined."

"On the basis of available evidence," N. Sattar and colleagues at the Glasgow Royal …