Autoantibodies Linked with Risk of Cardiovascular Disease - A ...

People with rheumatoid arthritis-related autoantibodies appear to be more likely than other people to show signs of atherosclerosis (the build-up of plaque on the walls of arteries). These results were presented at the 2012 annual meeting of the American College of Rheumatology.

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an autoimmune disease. An autoimmune disease occurs when the immune system?which normally protects the body from infection?turns against some of the body?s own tissues. Other examples of autoimmune diseases are Type I diabetes, lupus, Sjogren syndrome, Grave?s Disease, and multiple sclerosis.

Blood tests in people with RA often (but not always) detect certain autoantibodies (antibodies against one?s own tissues). These autoantibodies include rheumatoid factor and anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide. Autoantibodies may also be detected in some people without RA.

People with RA are known to have a higher risk of cardiovascular disease than the general population, but the reasons are uncertain. To explore the relationship between RA-related autoantibodies and the risk of cardiovascular disease, researchers evaluated information from more than 6,500 participants in the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA) study.

At the start of the study, roughly 12 percent of study participants had signs of atherosclerosis (assessed by measuring coronary artery calcium levels by CT scan). During 7 years of follow-up, 3 percent of study participants developed serious heart problems such as heart attack, cardiac arrest, or death due to coronary heart disease.

• White and African-American women with RA-related autoantibodies were twice as likely as those without these autoantibodies to have signs of atherosclerosis.
• Autoantibodies were also linked with serious heart events (such as heart attack) in African-American women.
• Autoantibodies were not linked with atherosclerosis or heart problems in Hispanic or Chinese study participants. It?s uncertain why results might vary by race.

Overall, these results suggest that RA-related autoantibodies may increase the risk of cardiovascular disease among people with RA as well among people in the general population.

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Reference: Majka DS et al. Autoantibodies Are Associated with Subclinical Atherosclerosis and Cardiovascular Endpoints in Caucasian and African American Women in a Prospective Study: ?the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA). Presented at the 2012 Annual Meeting of the American College of Rheumatology. Washington, DC. November 10-14, 2012. Abstract 1664.

Source: http://awomanshealth.com/2013/01/16/autoantibodies-linked-with-risk-of-cardiovascular-disease/

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