The Metabolic Syndrome in Rheumatoid Arthritis - A Observational Study

Abstract

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic systemic autoimmune inflammatory disease that affects mainly the small joints of the hands and feet, it has both articular manifestations and extra articular manifestations. The joints commonly involved in Rheumatoid arthritis are the wrists, small joints of the hands and feet, i.e the metacarpophalangeal (MCP) joints, interphalangeal joints of the thumbs, proximal interphalangeal (PIP) joints of the fingers and metatarsal phalangeal (MTP) joints. Distinctively the distal interphalangeal (DIP) joints are spared. Extra Articular manifestations of Rheumatoid Arthritis are seen in up to fifty percent of patients. Extra articular manifestations are in the form of episcleritis, skin ulcers, scleritis, rheumatoid nodules, neuropathy, pleural involvement, interstitial lung disease, pericarditis, myocarditis, coronary artery disease (CAD), glomerulonephritis, sicca symptoms, vasculitis and atherosclerotic disease. Aim: To Study The Metabolic Syndrome In Rheumatoid Arthritis Patients. Objectives: To Study Metabolic Syndrome in Patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis. To Study the Relationship between Metabolic Syndrome and Disease Activity. Hence it can be concluded that the prevalence of Met S was high in patients of Rheumatoid arthritis. The levels of triglycerides, fasting blood sugar, blood pressure, waist circumference was higher in study subjects having Met S while the HDL level was lower than patients not having metabolic syndrome. This difference was found to be significant statistically. Therefore, it is essential to manage Met S for prevention of CVD in patients of rheumatoid arthritis.