Abstract
Patients with rheumatoid arthritis are at increased risk for cardiovascular disease. The prerequisites for reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease are adequate levels of knowledge and being aware of the risk. In this study, the levels of knowledge about cardiovascular disease among patients with rheumatoid arthritis and the perception were evaluated in relation to their actual 10-year risk of cardiovascular disease. This cross-sectional study of 200 patients with rheumatoid arthritis was conducted in a university-affiliated hospital in South Korea. The patients’ actual risk of cardiovascular disease was estimated using the Framingham Risk Score. The most common risk factor was physical inactivity, with 77% of the patients not engaging in regular exercise. The patients lacked knowledge about the effects of physical inactivity and anti-inflammatory medication on the development of cardiovascular disease. Misperceptions about the risk of cardiovascular disease were common, i.e., 19.5% of the patients underestimated their risk and 41% overestimated. Hypertension, diabetes, obesity, and smoking were the most prevalent among the patients who underestimated their risk, and these same patients had the lowest level of knowledge about cardiovascular disease. This study demonstrated the rheumatoid arthritis patients’ lack of knowledge about the effects of physical inactivity and anti-inflammatory medications on the development of cardiovascular disease, and their misperception of cardiovascular risk was common. As a preventive measure, educational programs about cardiovascular disease should be tailored specifically for patients with rheumatoid arthritis, and behavioral interventions, including routine exercise, should be made available at the time of diagnosis.
Highlights
Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic, progressive, and disabling autoimmune disease that affects about 2% of the Korean population [1]
The physical functional score was 0.95 out of 10 on average, meaning that the subjects were able to perform most of their daily physical tasks without difficulty
The most common cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factor found in this sample was physical inactivity, with 77% not engaging in moderate physical activity three or more times per week
Summary
Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic, progressive, and disabling autoimmune disease that affects about 2% of the Korean population [1]. Patients with RA have significantly increased risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) than general population [2]. The recently updated version of clinical guidelines for preventing CVD specifies RA as a major CVD risk factor and recommends screening patients with RA for CVD risk [8, 9]. Such screening has been shown to benefit patients and reduces costs [10]
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