Ultrasound evaluation of intima-media thickness of carotid arteries in rheumatoid arthritis

ABSTRACT

The aim of this work is to obtain morphological evidence of subclinical atherosclerosis [AS] in rheumatoid arthritis [RA]patients compared with healthy controls, by evaluating intima-media thickness [IMT] of the common carotid artery [CCA] .The study included 40 patients with RA and 40 age and sex-matched controls. B-mode ultrasound [U/S] was used for measurement of the IMT of the CCA. The results were related to disease activity markers and to serum lipid levels. The study showed that IMT of CCA was significantly higher in RA patients compared with controls, and correlated significantly with serum lipids. However, no significant correlation was found between IMT of CCA and C-reactive protein or erythrocyte sedimentation rate. The prevalence of plaques was non-significantly higher in RA patients, and patients with plaques had significantly higher levels of lipids than those without plaques. Therefore, RA patients appeard to had an ultrasonic evidence of early AS, that was related to serum lipid levels