Autoimmune Rheumatic Diseases and Premature Atherosclerotic Cardiovascular Disease: An Analysis From the VITAL Registry

  • Dhruv Mahtta
  • , Angela Gupta
  • , David J. Ramsey
  • , Mahmoud Al Rifai
  • , Anurag Mehta
  • , Chayakrit Krittanawong
  • , Michelle T. Lee
  • , Khurram Nasir
  • , Zainab Samad
  • , Roger S. Blumenthal
  • , Hani Jneid
  • , Christie M. Ballantyne
  • , Laura A. Petersen
  • , Salim S. Virani

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

31 Scopus citations

Abstract

Background: Although the association between autoimmune rheumatic diseases and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease is well-known, there is a lack of data regarding the role of such disorders in patients with premature and extremely premature atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease. Methods: The Veterans With Premature Atherosclerosis (VITAL) registry, including patients with premature (males <55 years, females <65 years) and extremely premature atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (<40 years), was created from the 2014-2015 nationwide Veterans Affairs (VA) health care system database. We assessed age at the time of first cardiovascular event to compare patients with premature (n = 135,703) and those with extremely premature atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (n = 7716) with age-matched patients without atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (nyoung = 1,153,535, nextremely young = 441,836). We assessed whether systemic lupus erythematosus, rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, and ankylosing spondylitis were independently associated with premature and extremely premature atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease. Results: Patients with premature and extremely premature atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease had a higher prevalence of all rheumatic diseases as compared with age-matched patients without atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease. In fully adjusted models, systemic lupus erythematosus (odds ratio [OR]: 1.69, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.56-1.83) and rheumatoid arthritis (OR: 1.72, 95% CI: 1.63-1.81) were associated with increased odds of premature atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease. Patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (OR: 3.06, 95% CI: 2.38-3.93) and rheumatoid arthritis (OR: 2.39, 95% CI: 1.85-3.08) also had a higher likelihood of extremely premature atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease. Conclusion: Patients with systemic lupus erythematosus and rheumatoid arthritis carry higher odds of both premature and extremely premature atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease. Future studies are needed to understand the rheumatic disease-specific factors behind the development and progression of clinical atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease in these young patients.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)1424-1432.e1
JournalAmerican Journal of Medicine
Volume133
Issue number12
DOIs
StatePublished - Dec 2020
Externally publishedYes

Keywords

  • Ankylosing spondylitis
  • Autoimmune
  • Inflammation
  • Premature atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease
  • Psoriatic arthritis
  • Rheumatic disease
  • Rheumatoid arthritis
  • Systemic lupus erythematosus

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • General Medicine

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