Hormonal and Reproductive Factors in Relation to Cardiovascular Events in Women with Early Rheumatoid Arthritis

Hormonal and reproductive factors affect the risk for cardiovascular events (CVE) in the general population. Although the risk of CVE is increased in rheumatoid arthritis (RA), the knowledge about the impact of hormonal factors for CVE in RA is sparse. Female postmenopausal patients <= 80 years with early RA were consecutively included in this observational study (n = 803) between 1 January 1996 until 31 December 2017. Questionnaires regarding hormonal factors were distributed from the index date. Data regarding CVE were obtained from the Swedish National Health Register and Cause of Death Register. Associations between CVE and hormonal factors were analyzed using Cox proportional hazard regression. Of the postmenopausal women, 64 women had a CVE after RA onset. The time period from menopause to RA onset was significantly longer for CVE cases with higher proportion of postmenopausal women. In Cox proportional hazard regression models, years from last childbirth and multiparity were associated with higher CVE risk. Adjustments for traditional risk factors did not affect the results except for hypertension. RA onset after menopause and a longer duration from menopause until onset increased the CVE risk. Multiparity was associated with higher CVE risk whilst oral contraceptives decreased the risk. These results can contribute to identification of high-risk patients for CVE beyond traditional risk factors.

Automated summary

Hormonal and reproductive factors play a role in the risk of cardiovascular events (CVE) in the general population. However, little is known about the impact of hormonal factors on CVE in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA).