Incidence and risk factors of major cardiovascular events in rheumatoid arthritis and psoriatic arthritis: A population-based cohort study.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the incidence and risk factors of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and psoriatic arthritis (PsA) patients. METHODS: A population-based retrospective cohort of RA and PsA patients was identified in a citywide database. All patients recruited from Jan 2006 to Dec 2015 were followed until the end of 2018. The outcome was the occurrence of a first MACE. Covariates of interest included traditional cardiovascular (CV) risk factors, inflammatory markers and pharmacotherapies. The independent predictors of MACE were identified by the time-dependent cox proportional hazard models. RESULTS: A total of 13,905 patients (12,233 RA and 1,672 PsA) were recruited. After a total of 119,571 patient-years of follow-up, 934 (6.7%) patients developed a first MACE. RA and PsA patients had similar adjusted incidence (incidence rate ratio 0.96, 95 % CI 0.75-1.22, p = 0.767). After adjusting for traditional CV risk factors, the time-varying erythrocyte sedimentation (ESR) rate and C-reactive protein (CRP) levels, and the use of glucocorticoids were independently associated with higher risk of MACE in both the RA and PsA cohorts. In RA, the use of methotrexate and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) were associated with fewer MACE. The use of biologic disease modifying anti-rheumatic drugs was not associated with MACE in both RA and PsA. CONCLUSION: The incidence of MACE was similar in RA and PsA. Systemic inflammation and glucocorticoid use independently increased the risk of MACE in inflammatory arthritis, while methotrexate and NSAIDs use were protective against the development of MACE in RA.

Inflammation is associated with incident hypertension in patients with axial spondyloarthritis: A longitudinal cohort study.

OBJECTIVES: To elucidate the risk factors for the development of incident hypertension (IHT) in patients with axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA). METHODS: We conducted a retrospective cohort study in axSpA patients who were recruited from 2001 to 2019 from a university clinic in Hong Kong. Patients with HT and/or anti-hypertensive drug use at baseline were excluded. They were followed until the end of 2020. The outcome was IHT, defined by a diagnosis and a prescription for an antihypertensive drug. Baseline and time-varying Cox regression analyses adjusting for age, sex, and body mass index (BMI), were used to assess the relationship between drug use, inflammatory burden, and IHT. RESULTS: Four hundred and thirteen patients [age: 34(25-43) years, male: 319 (77.2%)] were recruited. After a median follow-up of 12 (6-17) years, 58 patients (14%) developed IHT (IHT+group). Among all the baseline variables, disease duration and delay in diagnosis were the independent predictors for IHT based on the Cox regression model. In the multivariate Cox regression analysis, baseline disease duration, delay in diagnosis and time-varying ESR levels were independent predictors associated with an increased risk of IHT. IHT risk was significantly increased in patients with disease duration >5 years. The use of anti-inflammatory drugs was not associated with the development of IHT. CONCLUSION: Higher inflammatory burden as reflected by a longer disease duration, delay diagnosis and higher ESR levels, were predictors associated with IHT after adjusting for traditional CV risk factors. These data support routine screening for hypertension in axSpA patients, especially those with longer disease duration.

What is already known about this subject?• Patients with axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA) have a higher risk of cardiovascular (CV) disease compared with the general population. Hypertension (HT) is one of the most important modifiable risk factors. Whether increased inflammatory pathways or the use of anti-inflammatory therapies contribute toward the increased prevalence of HT in axSpA remained controversial.What does this study add?• First, higher inflammatory burden as reflected by a longer baseline disease duration, delay in diagnosis and higher ESR levels were predictors of incident HT (IHT) after adjusting for traditional CV risk factors in axSpA. Second, IHTrisk was significantly increased in pati\ents with disease duration >5 years.How might this impact on clinical practice or future developments?• Early diagnosis and adequate control of systematic inflammation may be important to prevent the development of HT. Routine screening for hypertension in axSpA patients should be considered, especially in patients with longer disease duration.

Five-year cardiovascular event risk in early rheumatoid arthritis patients who received treat-to-target management: a case-control study.

OBJECTIVES: This study explored whether the excess cardiovascular (CV) disease (CVD) risk in RA could be ameliorated by suppression of inflammation using a treat-to-target (T2T) approach. We compared the CV event (CVE) incidence among ERA patients managed by a T2T strategy with a CV risk factor-matched non-RA population and a historical RA cohort (HRA). METHODS: This was an observational study using the city-wide hospital data and the ERA registry. ERA patients received T2T management while HRA patients received routine care. Each ERA/HRA patient was matched to three non-RA controls according to age, gender and CV risk factors. Patients on antiplatelet/anticoagulant agents, with pre-existing CVD, chronic kidney disease or other autoimmune diseases were excluded. All subjects were followed for up to 5 years. The primary end point was the first occurrence of a CVE. RESULTS: The incidence of CVE in the ERA cohort (n = 261) and ERA controls were similar with a hazard ratio of 0.53 (95% CI 0.15, 1.79). In contrast, the incidence of CVE in the HRA cohort (n = 268) was significantly higher than that of the HRA controls with a hazard ratio of 1.9 (95% CI 1.16, 3.13). The incidence of CVE in the ERA cohort was significantly lower than that of the HRA cohort and the difference became insignificant after adjusting for inflammation, the use of methotrexate and traditional CV risk factors. CONCLUSION: ERA patients managed by a T2T strategy did not develop excess CVE compared with CV risk factor-matched controls over 5 years.

High inflammatory burden predicts cardiovascular events in patients with axial spondyloarthritis: a long-term follow-up study.

Background: Axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA) patients are at higher risk of cardiovascular (CV) disease (CVD) than the general population, partly due to consequences of inflammation or its treatment. But relationship between inflammation in axSpA and cardiovascular events (CVE) is unknown. Objectives: To examine whether inflammatory burden over time can predict CVE independent of baseline CV risk factors in axSpA patients. Design: A cohort analysis was performed in patients who had been recruited since January 2001. The primary outcome was a first CVE occurring between January 2001 and December 2020. Methods: Three CVD risk scores were computed at baseline. The performance of the original and modified (*1.5 multiplication factor) CV risk algorithms were assessed. Time-varying Cox proportional hazard models and Kaplan-Meier survival analysis were used to assess whether inflammatory burden (Bath ankylosing spondylitis disease activity index [BASDAI] and inflammatory markers), nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and disease modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs) can predict the development of first CVE. Results: 463 patients (35 [26-45] years, male: 360 [77.8%]) were recruited. After a median follow-up of 12 (7-19) years, 61 patients (13.2%) experienced a first CVE. Traditional/modified CV risk scores underestimated CV risk. Erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) ⩾ 20 mm/h was associated with a significantly higher risk of CVE during follow-up (HR: 2.07, 95%CI [1.10, 3.98], p = 0.008). Active disease as indicated by a rising BASDAI also showed positive trend towards a higher risk of developing CVE over time. After adjusting for CV risk scores in the multivariable models, high ESR level (ESR ⩾ 20 mm/h) over time remained significantly associated with a higher risk of developing CV events. Conclusion: Increased inflammatory burden as reflected by elevated ESR levels (ESR ⩾ 20) was associated with increased risk of CVE, while the use of NSAIDs and DMARDs were not.

Association of C-reactive protein and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs with cardiovascular events in patients with psoriatic arthritis: a time-dependent Cox regression analysis.

AIMS: Psoriatic arthritis (PsA) is associated with accelerated atherosclerosis due to underlying inflammation. Whether inflammatory burden and drugs used to suppress inflammation over time are associated with cardiovascular (CV) events remained unclear. This study aims to examine the time-varying effect of C-reactive protein (CRP) levels and the use of drugs, including non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and disease modifying anti-rheumatic drugs, on the risk of CV events independent of traditional CV risk factors in PsA patients. METHODS: A retrospective cohort analysis was performed in patients with PsA who were recruited from 2008 to 2015 and followed until the end of 2019. The outcome was occurrence of a first CV event. Framingham risk score (FRS) was used to quantify the traditional CV risk. Cox proportional hazard models with time-varying CRP levels and drugs used were analysed to identify the risk factors for CV events in PsA patients. RESULTS: Two hundred patients with PsA [median age: 47.5 (40.0-56.0); male: 119 (59.5%)] were recruited. After a mean follow-up of 8.8 ± 3.8 years, 30 (15%) patients developed a first CV event. The multivariable Cox regression model showed that time-varying CRP level [hazard ratio (HR) 1.02, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.00-1.04] and NSAIDs exposure (HR 0.38, 95% CI 0.15-0.96) were significantly associated with CV events after adjusting for baseline FRS (HR 5.06, 95% CI 1.84-13.92). CONCLUSION: Increased inflammatory burden as reflected by elevated CRP level was associated with increased risk of CV events, while the risk was significantly reduced with NSAIDs use in PsA patients.

The causal effect of interleukin-17 on the risk of psoriatic arthritis: a Mendelian randomization study.

OBJECTIVE: To determine causal associations between genetically predicted TNF-α, IL-12p70 and IL-17 levels and risk of PsA. METHODS: The publicly available summary-level findings from genome-wide association studies (GWAS) was used to identify loci influencing normal physiological concentrations of TNF-α, IL-12p70 and IL-17 (n = 8293) among healthy individuals as exposure and a GWAS for PsA from the UK Biobank (PsA = 900, control = 462 033) as the outcome. A two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis was performed using the inverse-variance weighted (IVW), weighted median and MR-Egger regression methods. Sensitivity analysis and MR-Egger regression analysis were performed to evaluate the heterogeneity and pleiotropic effects of each variant. RESULTS: Single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) at genome-wide significance from GWASs on TNF-α, IL-12p70 and IL-17 were identified as the instrumental variables. The IVW method indicated a causal association between increased IL-17 level and risk of PsA (ß = -0.00186 per allele, s.e. = 0.00043, P = 0.002). Results were consistent in the weighted median method (ß = -0.00145 per allele, s.e. = 0.00059, P = 0.014) although the MR-Egger method suggested a non-significant association (ß = -0.00133 per allele, s.e. = 0.00087; P = 0.087). Single SNP MR results revealed that the C allele of rs117556572 was robustly associated with risk of PsA (ß = 0.00210, s.e. = 0.00069, P = 0.002). However, no evidence for a causal effect was observed between TNF-α, IL-12p70, decreased IL-17 levels and risk of PsA. CONCLUSION: Our findings provide preliminary evidence that genetic variants predisposing to higher physiological IL-17 level are associated with decreased risk of PsA.

Progressive structural bone changes and their relationship with treatment in patients with psoriatic arthritis: a longitudinal HR-pQCT study.

BACKGROUND: Although the short-term effects of tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) and interleukin-17A (IL-17A) inhibition on the structural changes in psoriatic arthritis (PsA) using high-resolution peripheral quantitative computed tomography (HR-pQCT) have been reported, no studies have investigated the long-term structural changes in PsA patients receiving routine care. We reported longitudinal changes of erosions and enthesiophytes using HR-pQCT and their relationship with treatments in PsA patients over a 5-year period. METHODS: HR-pQCT examination at the second and third metacarpal heads (MCH2 and MCH3) was performed in 60 PsA patients at baseline and after 5 years. The size of each individual lesion was quantified. Erosion and enthesiophyte progression were defined as change exceeding the smallest detectable change (SDC). RESULTS: A total of 108 bone erosions and 99 enthesiophytes were detected at baseline. Three new bone erosions but no new enthesiophytes were evident at 5 years. A significant increase in mean (±SD) erosion (0.58 ± 1.50 mm3, P < 0.001) and enthesiophyte (0.47 ± 0.76 mm3, P < 0.001) volume was observed. Erosion and enthesiophyte progression were found in 37/111 (33.3%) and 50/99 (50.5%) lesions, respectively. During this 5-year period, 26 (43%) out of the 60 patients achieved sustained Disease Activity index for PSoriatic Arthritis (DAPSA) low disease activity (LDA) (SDL group, defined as achieving DAPSA-LDA at both baseline and 5 years). Fourteen (23%) out of 60 patients received a TNF inhibitor throughout the 5-year period (TNFi group). Fewer erosions progressed (12/51 [23.5%] vs 25/60 [41.7%], P = 0.047) and the increased in enthesiophyte volume was significantly less (0.28 ± 0.67 vs 0.61 ± 0.80 mm3, P = 0.048) in the SDL group than in the non-SDL group. However, no significant difference between the TNFi and non-TNFi groups was detected in terms of the change in volume or progression of bone erosion and enthesiophyte. CONCLUSION: Damage accrual in terms of bone erosion and enthesiophyte was observed in PsA patients over a period of 5 years despite receiving routine clinical care. Nonetheless, sustained control of disease activity may be able to prevent these bony damages.

Underestimation of Risk of Carotid Subclinical Atherosclerosis by Cardiovascular Risk Scores in Patients with Psoriatic Arthritis.

OBJECTIVE: To test the performances of established cardiovascular (CV) risk scores in discriminating subclinical atherosclerosis (SCA) in patients with psoriatic arthritis. METHODS: These scores were calculated: Framingham risk score (FRS), QRISK2, Systematic COronary Risk Evaluation (SCORE), 10-year atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease risk algorithm (ASCVD) from the American College of Cardiology and the American Heart Association, and the European League Against Rheumatism (EULAR)-recommended modified versions (by 1.5 multiplication factor, m-). Carotid intima-media thickness > 0.9 mm and/or the presence of plaque determined by ultrasound were classified as SCA+. RESULTS: We recruited 146 patients [49.4 ± 10.2 yrs, male: 90 (61.6%)], of whom 142/137/128/118 patients were eligible to calculate FRS/QRISK2/SCORE/ASCVD. Further, 62 (42.5%) patients were SCA+ and were significantly older, with higher systolic blood pressure and higher low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (all p < 0.05). All CV risk scores were significantly higher in patients with SCA+ [FRS: 7.8 (3.9-16.5) vs 2.7 (1.1-7.8), p < 0.001; QRISK2: 5.5 (3.1-10.2) vs 2.9 (1.2-6.3), p < 0.001; SCORE: 1 (0-2) vs 0 (0-1), p < 0.001; ASCVD: 5.6 (2.6-12.4) vs 3.4 (1.4-6.1), p = 0.001]. The Hosmer-Lemeshow test revealed moderate goodness of fit for the 4 CV scores (p ranged from 0.087 to 0.686). However, of the patients with SCA+, those identified as high risk were only 44.1% (by FRS > 10%), 1.8% (QRISK2 > 20%), 10.9% (SCORE > 5%), and 43.6% (ASCVD > 7.5%). By applying the EULAR multiplication factor, 50.8%/14.3%/14.5%/54.5% of the patients with SCA+ were identified as high risk by m-FRS/m-QRISK2/m-SCORE/m-ASCVD, respectively. EULAR modification increased the sensitivity of FRS and ASCVD in discriminating SCA+ from 44% to 51%, and 44% to 55%, respectively. CONCLUSION: All CV risk scores underestimated the SCA+ risk. EULAR-recommended modification improved the sensitivity of FRS and ASCVD only to a moderate level.