Background: Rheumatoid Disease (RD) is associated with ischaemic heart disease (IHD). We sought to investigate whether abnormalities of endothelial function and platelet activation in patients with established RD were related to co-morbid cardiovascular risk factors.
Methods: In a cross-sectional study, RD patients with no cardiac risk factors and normal cardiac function (RD, n=73), those with cardiovascular disease or risk factors and normal cardiac function (RD-risk, n=59), and those with left ventricular systolic dysfunction (RD-LVSD, n=21) were recruited, and compared to healthy controls (HC, n=76). Plasma levels of von Willebrand factor (vWF, an index of endothelial damage/dysfunction), soluble E-selectin (sE-sel, a marker of endothelial activation), and soluble P-selectin (sP-sel, an index of platelet activation) were studied.
Results: Plasma levels of vWF and sP-sel (but not sE-sel) were significantly higher among 153 RD patients compared to controls (p=0.002 and p<0.001, respectively). Levels of vWF progressively rose with increasing cardiovascular risk across the four subgroups (p for trend<0.001). Previous IHD was independently associated with vWF levels, and diabetes mellitus (DM) was similarly associated with all three markers. RD itself and beta-blocker use were associated with sP-sel.
Conclusion: Plasma levels of vWF and sP-sel are higher among RD patients. Levels of vWF were particularly influenced by cardiac risk factor status, and associated with known IHD and DM.