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Fragility Fractures in RA Linked with CVD Events
J Rheumatol; ePub 2017 Jan 15; Mhuircheartaigh, et al
Fragility fractures in both women and men with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) are associated with an increased risk for cardiovascular disease (CVD) events and should raise an alert to clinicians to target these individuals for further screening and preventive strategies for CVD. Researchers studied a population-based cohort with incident RA from 1955 to 2007 and compared it with age- and sex-matched non-RA subjects. They identified fragility fractures and CVD events following the RA incidence/index date, along with relevant risk factors. There were 1,171 subjects (822 women; 349 men) in each of the RA and non-RA cohorts. Researchers found:
- Over follow up, there were 406 and 346 fragility fractures and 286 and 225 CVD events, respectively.
- The overall CVD risk was increased significantly for RA subjects following a fragility fracture (HR 1.81) but not for non-RA subjects (HR 1.18).
- Results were similar for women and men with RA.
Mhuircheartaigh ON, Crowson CS, Gabriel SE, Roger VL, Melton LJ, Amin S. Fragility fractures are associated with an increased risk for cardiovascular events in women and men with rheumatoid arthritis: A population-based study. [Published online ahead of print January 15, 2017]. J Rheumatol. doi:10.3899/jrheum.160651.