noncompressible calcified vessel meaning

This information is important for an understanding of atherosclerosis and cardiovascular disease in general, and of how such disorders affect patients with rheumatoid arthritis. 14– 16 However, the frequency and extent of impaired peripheral arterial function in rheumatoid arthritis are not well established. Indeed, cases of severe peripheral vascular disease affecting rheumatoid patients have been described. If rheumatoid arthritis is an atherosclerosis prone disease, the peripheral arteries should be affected in addition to the central ones. 7, 8 In addition, studies of the central arteries in rheumatoid patients have shown increased thickness of the intimal layer, 9– 12 suggesting that this disease predisposes to atherosclerosis, perhaps through an effect of systemic inflammation. 1– 6 Recent studies have documented an excess rate of myocardial infarction in rheumatoid arthritis, and possibly other types of cardiovascular events as well. Patients with rheumatoid arthritis are at higher than normal risk of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. ORALE, outcome of rheumatoid arthritis longitudinal evaluation.Their propensity for patients with advanced joint damage suggests shared pathogenic mechanisms. This subgroup had more incompressible (15%, p⩽0.001) and obstructed arteries (6%, p = 0.005) than the controls, independent of covariates.Ĭonclusions: Peripheral arterial incompressibility and obstruction are increased in rheumatoid arthritis. Most arterial impairments occurred in rheumatoid patients with 20 or more deformed joints. Adjustment for inflammation markers, joint damage, rheumatoid factor, and glucocorticoid use reduced rheumatoid arthritis v control differences. The greater frequency of arterial incompressibility and obstruction in rheumatoid arthritis was independent of age, sex, and cardiovascular risk factors. At the person level, one or more abnormal arteries occurred among 45 rheumatoid patients (19%), v five controls (5%, p = 0.001). Among the controls, three of 408 arteries (0.7%) were incompressible (p = 0.002) and four (1%) were obstructed (p = 0.06). Among the rheumatoid patients, 66 of 931 arteries (7%) were incompressible and 30 (3%) were obstructed. Results: 234 patients with rheumatoid arthritis and 102 controls were studied. Multinomial logistic regression was used to estimate differences in ABI between patients and controls, adjusting for cardiovascular risk factors, rheumatoid arthritis manifestations, inflammation markers, and glucocorticoid dose. Arteries were classified as obstructed with ABI ⩽0.9, normal with ABI >0.9 but ⩽1.3, and incompressible with ABI >1.3. Methods: The ankle-brachial index (ABI) was measured at the posterior tibial and dorsal pedal arteries. Objective: To examine the lower limb arteries in age and sex matched, non-smoking subjects with and without rheumatoid arthritis. Background: Despite increased cardiovascular morbidity and mortality in rheumatoid arthritis, the peripheral arteries remain understudied.

Noncompressible calcified vessel meaning