Lipid Profiles in Early Rheumatoid Arthritis and the Effects of Treatment
Author Information
Author(s): Georgiadis Athanasios N, Papavasiliou Eleni C, Lourida Evangelia S, Alamanos Yannis, Kostara Christina, Tselepis Alexandros D, Drosos Alexandros A
Primary Institution: University of Ioannina
Hypothesis
Does early treatment improve lipid profiles in patients with early rheumatoid arthritis?
Conclusion
Patients with early rheumatoid arthritis have an atherogenic lipid profile that improves with early treatment.
Supporting Evidence
- 91.3% of patients achieved ACR 20% response criteria after one year of treatment.
- Serum HDL-C levels significantly increased after treatment.
- Patients exhibited higher levels of total cholesterol and LDL-C compared to controls.
Takeaway
People with early rheumatoid arthritis have bad cholesterol levels, but taking medicine can help make them better.
Methodology
The study included 58 patients with early rheumatoid arthritis and 63 healthy controls, measuring lipid profiles and disease activity before and after treatment with methotrexate and prednisone.
Potential Biases
Potential bias due to the exclusion of patients with traditional cardiovascular risk factors.
Limitations
The study excluded patients with common risk factors for atherosclerosis, which may limit the generalizability of the findings.
Participant Demographics
58 patients with early rheumatoid arthritis (44 women, 14 men) with a mean age of 53.6 years.
Statistical Information
P-Value
p<0.05
Statistical Significance
p<0.05
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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