Rheumatologie: Aktuelle Forschung
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Abstrakt

Association of Severity of Osteoarthritis and Carotid Atherosclerosis in Patients with Metabolic Syndrome

Antonio Martocchia, Lavinia Toussan, Manuela Stefanelli, Giulia Maria Falaschi, Fabrizia Comite, Elisa Brecciaroli, Fabiola Mastropietri, Paolo Falaschi

Study Background: Increasing evidence in the literature suggests a link between osteoarthritis and atherosclerosis represented by the pro-inflammatory state, independently by concurrent factors such as the joint overload caused by obesity. In this study we examined the role of metabolic syndrome, a cluster of cardiovascular risk factors with a significant pro-inflammatory background, on the severity of both carotid atherosclerosis and osteoarthritis.

Methods: We evaluated 68 patients (14 males, 54 females) with (mean±standard error) age and body mass index of 76.99±1.01 years and 27.63±0.62, respectively. The subjects were divided in two groups by the presence of metabolic syndrome (according to Adult Treatment Panel III criteria). Each patient received a score of severity for carotid atherosclerosis (by echo-doppler examination of supra-aortic arteries) and for osteoarthritis (by standard X-ray). The s ites of osteoarthritis was divided in related or not related to weight overload.

Results: The body mass index of patients with (n.42) or without metabolic syndrome (n.26) were 28.94±0.84 and 25.87±0.77, respectively (p<0.025). The severity of carotid atherosclerosis were 1.59±0.17 and 0.82±0.18 in the patients with or without metabolic syndrome (p<0.01). The severity of osteoarthritis were 2.59±0.15 and 2.04±0.27 in the patients with or without metabolic syndrome (p=0.06). Metabolic syndrome was significantly related to severity score of carotid atherosclerosis and osteoarthritis (r=0.932 p<0.01 and r=0.936 p<0.01, respectively). Severity score of carotid atherosclerosis and osteoarthritis were significantly related (r=0.895 p<0.05).

Conclusion: In this preliminary study, we showed a link between severity of osteoarthritis and atherosclerosis in metabolic syndrome, pointing out the possibility of a common background belonging to the degenerative and inflammatory reactions involving both the cardiovascular and articular system.