Abstract P030: Traditional Cardiovascular Risk Factors Are Associated With Being Hypertensive At Rheumatoid Arthritis Diagnosis: Results From The Canadian Early Arthritis Cohort

Abstract

Introduction: Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an autoimmune disease causing chronic inflammation of the joints. RA patients have increased risk of hypertension (HTN). The aim of this study was to determine prevalence of HTN at RA diagnosis as well as demographic, behavioral, and clinical characteristics associated with HTN. Hypothesis: We assessed the hypothesis that a large proportion of RA patients are hypertensive at RA diagnosis and that worse disease activity is associated with HTN. Methods: Data from the Canadian Early Arthritis Cohort was used. This is an inception cohort of RA patients across Canada. Data on HTN was collected according to patient/physician-report or use of anti-hypertensive drugs. Prevalence of HTN was calculated. A multivariate logistic regression model was built using likelihood ratio test for the total sample and while stratifying by sex, including variables on age, race, BMI, education, smoking, alcohol, disease activity and comorbidities. Results: The sample included 2052 RA patients. Mean(±SD) for age was 55(14) years and RA symptom duration 5.6(2.9) months, 71% (1438 of 2028) were female and 85% (1709 of 2010) were Caucasian. HTN was reported in 26% (537 of 2052) of subjects, 23% (327 of 1438) of females and 35% (205 of 590) of men. All results of logistic regression are in table 1. In multivariable analysis for the total sample, older age, overweight and obese BMI, diabetes and hyperlipidemia were associated with HTN. For females, excess alcohol consumption was also associated with HTN. In males, only older age, diabetes and hyperlipidemia were associated with HTN. Conclusions: One in four RA patients were hypertensive at RA diagnosis. Traditional risk factors that have been found in the general population were also associated with HTN in RA patients at diagnosis. Whether other characteristics are associated with HTN later in the RA disease course will be explored in further analysis.