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Ten-year progression of coronary artery, carotid artery, and aortic calcification in patients with rheumatoid arthritis

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Abstract

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is associated with increased vascular calcification, although the rate of progress of calcification is uncertain. The aim of the study was to evaluate the progression of and the predictors for calcification in different vascular beds over 10 years. The 10-year actual coronary calcium score (CS) and 10-year predicted coronary CS, based on the pattern of the general population, were compared. Calcification of the coronary and carotid artery and the aorta was assessed by multi-detector computed tomography. Significant CS progression was determined by the difference between the square root of baseline and square root of follow-up calcium score (i.e., SQRT method). The 10-year predicted coronary CS was based on the mathematical formula derived by the Heinz Nixdorf Recall Study. A total of 49 patients (54 ± 11 years, 90% female) had a follow-up scan after 10.0 ± 0.2 years. The CS in all vascular beds was significantly increased; 55% of the patients had a significant progression of CS in the coronary, 29% in the carotid, and 80% in the aorta. Age and systolic blood pressure (SBP) were independently associated with calcification progression in all vascular beds. Importantly, the absolute increase in 10-year actual coronary CS was significantly higher than that predicted. In patients with RA, calcification in all vascular beds significantly increased over 10 years and was independently associated with age and SBP. Importantly, the absolute increase in 10-year actual coronary CS progression was significantly higher than that predicted.

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Acknowledgements

This study was supported by the Research Grant Council of Hong Kong: General Research Fund (no. 17120715).

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Queen Mary Hospital, Rm 1929b, Block K, Hong Kong, China

    Ju-Hua Liu, Yan Chen, Zhe Zhen, Yuan Zou, Hung-Fat Tse & Kai-Hang Yiu

  2. Department of medicine, Affiliated Hospital of North Sichuan Medical College, Nanchong City, Sichuan Province, China

    Ju-Hua Liu

  3. Division of Radiology, Department of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Queen Mary Hospital, Hong Kong, China

    Ming-Yen Ng, Ka-Fung Mak & Pek-Lan Khong

  4. Division of Rheumatology, Department of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Queen Mary Hospital, Hong Kong, China

    Tommy Cheung, Ho-Yin Chung & Chak-Sing Lau

  5. Research Centre of Heart, Brain, Hormone and Healthy Aging, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China

    Hung-Fat Tse & Kai-Hang Yiu

  6. Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong Shenzhen Hospital, Hong Kong, China

    Kai-Hang Yiu

Authors
  1. Ju-Hua Liu
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  2. Ming-Yen Ng
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  3. Tommy Cheung
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  4. Ho-Yin Chung
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  5. Yan Chen
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  6. Zhe Zhen
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  7. Yuan Zou
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  8. Ka-Fung Mak
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  9. Pek-Lan Khong
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  10. Chak-Sing Lau
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  11. Hung-Fat Tse
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  12. Kai-Hang Yiu
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Kai-Hang Yiu.

Ethics declarations

The Hong Kong West Cluster Ethic Committee approved the study (no. 785013), and written informed consent was obtained from all participants.

Conflict of interest

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Additional information

Dr. Liu and Ng contributed equally and shall be considered as co-first authors.

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Liu, JH., Ng, MY., Cheung, T. et al. Ten-year progression of coronary artery, carotid artery, and aortic calcification in patients with rheumatoid arthritis. Clin Rheumatol 36, 807–816 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10067-016-3536-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10067-016-3536-y

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