Udachkina HV, et al. - Patients with early rheumatoid arthritis (RA) were examined herein (prior to anti-rheumatic therapy), to assess the frequency and severity of coronary artery calcification (CAC) as well as its correlation with traditional risk factors (TRF) of cardiovascular diseases (CVD) and inflammatory markers. Researchers observed that coronary age was significantly greater than the actual age in asymptomatic patients with CAC and ischemic heart disease (IHD) patients. Additionally, CAC was detected in more than half of early RA patients older 45 years. Notably, the presence and severity of CAC were found to be correlated positively with TRFs, but not with lipid levels and RA activity.

• For CAC scoring, 32-row scanning was performed on RA adult patients (ACR/EULAR criteria, 2010, duration ≤ 12 months, without prior administration of disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs, glucocorticoids).
• Researchers computed Agatston, volume and mass calcium scores.
• Additionally, they used calculators on the website of the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis.

• Within the framework of the observational study, a total of 74 RA patients (women n = 54 (73%), median age 56 years, median RA duration 6 months) with moderate/high RA activity (median DAS28 [ESR] 5.4) were enrolled.
• Presence of multiple TRFs of CVD and subclinical organ damage was noted in most of the patients.
• Thirty-four (46%) early RA patients had CAC.
• In men and in patients with ischemic heart disease (IHD), a significantly higher calcification severity was found.
• Researchers did not detect CAC in patients younger than 45 years (n = 16).
• Findings demonstrated that among patients older than 45 years (n = 58), the frequency of CAC was 59%: asymptomatic patients—n = 46 (48%), IHD patients—n = 12 (100%).
• Additionally, they also observed that among asymptomatic patients the presence of CAC associated with a significantly higher frequency of arterial hypertension (1.6 fold) compared with cases without CAC.