PREDICTORS OF CARDIOVASCULAR RISK IN PATIENTS WITH RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS: CORRELATION BETWEEN THE PRESENCE OF CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE AND CHARACTERISTICS OF THE JOINT DISEASE

Objective:Cardiovascular events represent the leading cause of death in patients with rheumatoid arthritis. Traditional cardiovascular risk factors alone do not adequately explain the phenomenon. This is probably due to other risk factors typical of joint disease, such as chronic inflammation and au