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Background: Rheumatoid arthritis is an inflammatory disease with joint manifestations. In the presence of extra-articular manifestations, the morbidity and severity of the disease increase. Glucocorticoid is used as a treatment and may result in side effects related to cardiovascular risk., Methods: This was a cross-sectional study including 59 volunteers with rheumatoid arthritis receiving treatment at a hospital of Campos Gerais that aimed to establish the relation between cardiovascular risk, glucocorticoid treatment and myeloperoxidase in these patients. Subjects were divided into two groups: using (n = 39) and without glucocorticoids (n = 20). They underwent clinical evaluation, physical examination and blood samples were taken. Statistical analysis was performed using Student's t test and Mann-Whitney test. Logistic regression was performed to assess the cardiovascular risk. The significance level was 5% (α = 0.05). Calculations were performed using the Statistical Package for the Social Science version 21.0., Results: There has been a significant difference between groups in blood glucose values (p = 0.012), which can be explained by the different percentage of diabetic patients in the groups. When assessing cardiovascular risk using the predictors of glucocorticoid dose, time of glucocorticoid use, myeloperoxidase, and C-reactive protein together, these were responsible for significantly predicting this risk (p = 0.015)., Conclusion: A significant relation between the predictor myeloperoxidase alone was also demonstrated (p = 0.037), it may be an important predictor of cardiovascular risk among individuals with rheumatoid arthritis., (© 2021. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature Switzerland AG.)

Objective: To evaluate the impact of the use, prior to the procedure, of injectable diltiazem to prevent complications., Methods: Between September 2000 and July 2001, 50 patients underwent transradial coronary angiography and were randomized to receive placebo (GI) or diltiazem (GII) through a catheter inserted into the radial artery. All patients received isosorbide mononitrate. Ultrasound analyses of the radial artery were performed before examination, 30 minutes afterwards, and 7 days afterwards to evaluate the flow, the diameter, and the artery output., Results: The radial artery diameter of GI was 2.4d +/- 0.5 mm before the procedure and 2.3 +/- 0.5 mm after 30 minutes (NS), whereas in GII the diameter was 2.2 +/- 0.3 mm before the examination and +/- 2.5 0.4 mm 30 minutes after it (P<0.001). Radial artery output in group 1 was 7.3 +/- 5.l2 mL/min before the examination and 6.1 +/- 3.5 mL/min 30 minutes after the examination (NS), and GII had an increase of 5.9 +/- 2.5 mL/min before examination to 9.05 +/- 7.78 mL/min after the examination (P=0.04). Complications (spasm, occlusion, and partial obstruction) occurred in 4 patients (17.4%) in GI and did not occur in GII (P=0.04)., Conclusion: The study suggests a decrease in vascular complications through the transradial access for coronary angiography with the use of diltiazem as an antispasmodic drug, resulting in the significant increase in the diameter of the radial artery and radial artery output.