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THU0180 ETANERCEPT IMPROVES INFLAMMATION ASSOCIATED ARTERIAL STIFFNESS IN RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS

B. Galarraga*¹, F. Khan¹, P. Kumar¹, T. Pullar¹, J. J. F. Belch¹
¹Vascular and Inflammatory Diseases Research Unit, University of Dundee, Dundee, United Kingdom

Background: Increased arterial stiffness, an independent risk factor for premature coronary artery disease, has been reported in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA).
Objectives: Firstly to assess, in patients with RA, the relationship between disease activity, inflammation and augmentation index, which is a combined measure of arterial stiffness and pulse wave reflection. The second objective was to establish any effect anti-rheumatic treatment may have on augmentation index.
Methods: 148 RA patients with no previous history of cardiovascular disease (CVD) had their augmentation index corrected for a heart rate of 75 beats per minute (AIx@75), and parameters of RA disease activity and CV risk measured. 47 patients were then treated with either methotrexate (n=21) or etanercept (n=26) and assessments were repeated at 2 and 4 months.
Results: Patients with high CRP (CRP>10 mg/L) showed significantly higher mean AIx@75 than those with low CRP (CRP≤10 mg/ L) (33±8 % v 30±8 %, p=0.033). On regression analysis Log10CRP (β =0.298, p=0.002), gender (β =0.257, p=0.007), BMI (β =-0.292, p=0.004), diastolic blood pressure (β =0.260, p=0.009) and age (β=0.194, p=0.046) were independently associated with AIx@75.
Treatment with etanercept (35±9 %, 32.5±1 % and 32.5±8 %, p=0.025) but not methotrexate (31±1 %, 31±1 % and 31±1 %, p=0.971) attenuated the AIx@75 significantly from baseline to visit 2 and 3.

This is good news... I am left wondering what caused my aortic valve to go south. Was it the months I was w/o meds? The increased inflammation? Or maybe not a thing to do with RA?
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