1. Factors associated with hyperhomocysteinaemia in Mexican patients with rheumatoid arthritis.
- Author
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Lopez-Olivo MA, Gonzalez-Lopez L, Garcia-Gonzalez A, Villa-Manzano AI, Cota-Sanchez AR, Salazar-Paramo M, Varon-Villalpando E, Cardona-Muñoz EG, and Gamez-Nava JI
- Subjects
- Adolescent, Adult, Aged, Arthritis, Rheumatoid blood, Arthritis, Rheumatoid epidemiology, Atherosclerosis epidemiology, Atherosclerosis etiology, Biomarkers blood, C-Reactive Protein metabolism, Cholesterol blood, Female, Follow-Up Studies, Humans, Hyperhomocysteinemia blood, Hyperhomocysteinemia complications, Incidence, Male, Mexico epidemiology, Middle Aged, Retrospective Studies, Rheumatoid Factor blood, Risk Factors, Severity of Illness Index, Arthritis, Rheumatoid complications, Homocysteine blood, Hyperhomocysteinemia epidemiology
- Abstract
Background: Hyperhomocysteinaemia is a factor related to the development of atherosclerosis in rheumatoid arthritis (RA). However, Hispanics with RA develop high rates of coronary disease; there are no studies about the frequency and factors related to high levels of homocysteine in Mexican patients., Objective: To evaluate the prevalence and characteristics associated with hyperhomocysteinaemia in Mexican patients with RA., Methods: One hundred and fifty-two patients with RA were compared with 153 controls. The assessment in RA included clinical characteristics, disease activity (RADAR), functioning (HAQ-Di and global functional status), comorbidity, and radiological damage. Laboratory determinations included total serum homocysteine (tHcy), erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), C-reactive protein (CRP), rheumatoid factor (RF), and lipid profile., Results: Median levels of homocysteine were higher in RA compared with controls (11.3 vs. 9.3, p<0.001). Twenty per cent of the patients with RA had hyperhomocysteinaemia (>15 micromol/L) compared with 6% in controls (p<0.001). There was statistical association between hyperhomocysteinaemia in RA with male gender (p<0.001), impairment in the global functional status (p = 0.004), higher radiological damage (p = 0.001), and CRP (p = 0.04). There was no association with RADAR, HAQ-Di, or RF, methotrexate dose or duration of use. In the adjusted multivariate model, the two variables associated with higher risk for hyperhomocysteinaemia were male gender (OR = 4.2, 95% CI 2 to 12, p = 0.006) and higher radiological damage (III-IV) (OR = 3.4, 95% CI 1.3 to 9, p = 0.01)., Conclusions: Our data show a high prevalence of hyperhomocysteinaemia in Mexican patients with RA. More effort is required to evaluate and treat earlier this coronary risk factor.
- Published
- 2006
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