Lipid abnormalities in patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis

Objective: To determine the frequency of dyslipidemia in patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis.

Methods: This is a prospective, cross-sectional, observational study, conducted at the ‘Rheumatology Clinic’ of Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Center (JPMC), Karachi, from November 2013 to May 2014. A total of 200 patients of Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA), diagnosed according to the ACR/EULAR criteria 2010, were included in the study. Laboratory investigations including creatinine, ALT, CBC, TSH and fasting lipid profile (LDL, HDL, and Total cholesterol) were done for all patients.

Results: Out of 200 patients, 23 (11.5%) were male and 177 (88.5%) were female. The mean age was 36.31±10.46 years and the mean duration of disease was 3.82±3.03 years. A total of 107 (53.5%) patients had dyslipidemia, and the commonest abnormality was a low HDL, seen in 83 (41.5 %) patients.

Conclusion: Dyslipidemia was frequently observed in Rheumatoid Arthritis. This may be considered as a secondary impact of chronic inflammatory state, seen in RA. Lipid abnormalities should be sought at regular intervals, and corrective actions taken to mitigate increased cardiovascular disease risk.