ESCAPE - RA TRIAL

这个子项目是利用由NIH/NCRR资助的中心拨款提供的资源的许多研究子项目之一。子项目和调查员(PI)可能从另一个NIH来源获得了主要资金，因此可能会出现在其他CRISE条目中。列出的机构是针对中心的，而不一定是针对调查员的机构。心血管疾病(CVD)是类风湿性关节炎(RA)发病和死亡的主要原因。尽管心血管相关死亡在类风湿关节炎患者中增加2-4倍，但在类风湿关节炎患者中，心血管疾病的传统危险因素的患病率并没有增加。这表明疾病本身可能通过其强烈的炎症过程是心血管疾病的一个重要的、独立的风险因素。这些研究人员假设，RA患者将有更高的亚临床动脉粥样硬化患病率，表现为更高的钙化评分，更高的左心室功能障碍，以及收缩和/或舒张期功能受抑，在控制了常规危险因素后，炎症标志物的升高将是导致这一更高患病率的原因。此外，研究人员假设，亚临床动脉粥样硬化的进展速度会更快，血清炎症标志物将解释这种增强的进展。最后，他们假设炎症标志物水平和疾病严重程度/活动性最高的RA患者将在基线时表现出更高的发病率以及冠状动脉钙化和左心功能不全的进展率更高。

This subproject is one of many research subprojects utilizing the resources provided by a Center grant funded by NIH/NCRR. The subproject and investigator (PI) may have received primary funding from another NIH source, and thus could be represented in other CRISP entries. The institution listed is for the Center, which is not necessarily the institution for the investigator. Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is a major cause of morbidity and mortality in rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Although CV -related deaths are increased 2-4 fold in RA, the prevalence of conventional risk factors for CVD is not increase in RA patients. This suggests that the disease itself, presumably via its intense inflammatory process-is an important, independent risk factor for CVD. These investigators hypothesize that RA patients will have higher prevalence of subclinical atherosclerosis as evidenced by higher calcium scores, higher prevalence of LV dysfunction, depressed systolic and/or diastolic dysfunction, and that elevated markers of inflammation will be responsible for this higher prevalence after controlling for conventional risk factors. Furthermore, the investigators hypothesize that there will be a higher rate of progression of subclinical atherosclerosis and serum markers of inflammation will explain the enhanced progression. Finally, they hypothesize that RA patients with the highest levels of inflammatory markers and disease severity/activity will exhibit higher rates at baseline and higher rates of progression in coronary calcium and LV dysfunction.