How early is the atherosclerotic risk in rheumatoid arthritis?

Rheumatoid arthritis is a systemic disease characterized by a reduced life expectancy mainly due to cardiovascular disease. In long-standing disease, it has been widely demonstrated that both traditional cardiovascular risk factors than chronic inflammation and immune-mediated mechanisms play a relevant role in atherosclerosis. Recently, it has been shown that the increased cardiovascular risk appears to precede rheumatoid arthritis onset and that particular immune and inflammatory factors, predating disease presentation, in association with a well-defined genetic background, may be associated with increased risk of accelerated atherosclerosis in patients with early disease. However, the effect of early immunosuppressive treatment on cardiovascular disease outcome remains uncertain. A multidisciplinary cardiovascular risk management is required to provide the better care of patients with RA at disease onset. (C) 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.