CARDIOVASCULAR RISK IN PATIENTS WITH RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS

It has been proven that rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an autoimmune, immunoinflammatory rheumatic disease characterized by chronic erosive arthritis and systemic damage to internal organs, leading to early disability and shortening the life expectancy of patients. The prevalence of RA among the adult population in different geographic zones of the world ranges from 0.5 to 2%. Rheumatoid arthritis significantly reduces the life expectancy of patients due to the development of early atherothrombosis, arterial hypertension and associated vascular complications. The main cause of death in RA is cardiovascular diseases, and the main causes of high mortality from cardiovascular diseases (CVD) in RA are the rapid progression of atherosclerosis and the development of heart failure.