Report highlights heart risks of inflammatory diseases

A new report has stressed that people with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), lupus and gout could be at risk of suffering from heart attacks.

An article in the Harvard Heart Letter noted that recent research had shown that RA more than doubles a person's risk of suffering from heart complications.

It added that those with lupus were even more prone to cardiac problems and cited a recent study that had indicated that gout could also be linked to cardiovascular disease.

The report acknowledged that it was still uncertain why these conditions were linked to heart problems. However, it explained that it was believed that the inflammation associated with the conditions was involved.

"In heart disease, inflammation kicks off artery-clogging atherosclerosis, keeps it smouldering, and influences the formation of clots, the ultimate cause of heart attacks and many strokes," the report noted.

In addition, the report claimed that "medications that calm inflammation may be a good start toward reducing the excess risk of heart disease".

"The best way to control heart risk is by paying attention to diet, weight, exercise, blood pressure and cholesterol," the researchers concluded.

The Arthritis Research Campaign is running a study to find out why women with lupus have a higher risk of developing heart disease than the general population. The study will investigate if lupus patients' blood vessels age at a faster rate than those of healthy people.

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