Gokmen, FerhatTemiz, AhmetAkbal, AylaSen, HacerZateri, CoskunGokmen, EsraBozkurt, Emre2025-01-272025-01-2720151309-02912148-5046https://doi.org/10.5606/ArchRheumatol.2015.5109https://search.trdizin.gov.tr/tr/yayin/detay/173978https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12428/21580Objectives: This study aims to investigate the relationship between carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT) and clinical and metabolic variables in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients. Patients and methods: The study included 76 RA patients (18 males, 58 females; mean age 50.1+/-9.8 years; range 21 to 69 years) and 42 control subjects (11 males, 31 females; mean age 49.2+/-9.7; range 28 to 66 years). Erythrocyte sedimentation rate, C-reactive protein, and disease activity score were used to assess disease activation. Rheumatoid factor, anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide antibodies, and metabolic syndrome components (fasting blood glucose, high density lipoprotein-cholesterol, triglyceride, blood pressure, and waist circumference) were measured. Results: Mean disease duration was 6.9+/-6.5 years. Patients with RA had higher CIMT than the controls (0.8+/-0.1 and 0.6+/-0.2, respectively; p< 0.001). Statistically significant positive correlations were observed between CIMT and age, erythrocyte sedimentation rate, C-reactive protein, and systolic and diastolic blood pressure. The CIMT in RA patients having metabolic syndrome risk components ranging from one to four were 0.76+/-0.16, 0.82+/-0.14, 0.86+/-0.13, and 0.92+/-0.13, respectively. CIMT was positively correlated with the number of metabolic syndrome risk components. Conclusion: Our study has shown elevated CIMT in RA. Presence of metabolic syndrome components in RA patients increases tendency to atherosclerosis and constitutes a severe risk for cardiovascular disease.eninfo:eu-repo/semantics/openAccessCardiovascular riskcarotid intima media thicknessmetabolic syndrome risk factorsrheumatoid arthritisArticle30212412910.5606/ArchRheumatol.2015.5109Q4WOS:0003571924000062-s2.0-84930324269173978N/A