A NEW study reveals that patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) are nearly twice as likely to develop heart failure (HF) compared to those without RA, with the increased risk primarily driven by heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF). The findings highlight the need to address inflammation as a contributing factor to cardiovascular complications in RA.
The study analyzed data from 1,445 RA patients and 4,335 matched non-RA comparators across two academic centers. Participants were tracked for incident HF and its subtypes, HFpEF and heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF), with adjustments made for age, sex, and established cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors.
RA patients exhibited a 79% higher risk of heart failure overall compared to non-RA individuals. The risk of HFpEF was significantly elevated, with a hazard ratio (HR) of 1.99, while the rate of HFrEF showed no statistically significant difference (HR 1.45). HFpEF was the most common subtype in both groups, accounting for 65% of heart failure cases in RA patients.
“These findings underscore the role of systemic inflammation in heart failure, particularly HFpEF, and the urgent need for targeted interventions in RA patients,” the authors noted.
The study emphasizes the importance of proactive cardiovascular monitoring and management in RA patients to mitigate the heightened risk of heart failure. Addressing inflammation may provide a path forward to reducing these cardiovascular complications and improving outcomes.
Reference
Kawano Y et al. Risk of Incident Heart Failure and Heart Failure Subtypes in Patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis. AC&R. 2024;DOI: 10.1002/acr.25481.
Aleksandra Zurowska | AMJ
