The Hypertriglyceridemic Waist Phenotype Is Associated with Several Cardiovascular Risk Factors in Women with Rheumatoid Arthritis

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) associates with cardiovascular risk factors (CVRF) such as dyslipidemias and systemic inflammation. Cardiovascular Disease (CVD) is the leading cause of mortality. The hypertriglyceridemic waist phenotype (HTWP) identifies increased CVRF; however, information about HTWP on RA is scarce. Objective: To evaluate the association of HTWP with CVRF in RA. Material and methods: Cross-sectional study. Women (125) with RA were included (ACR, 1987). Anthropometry, bioimpedance, body mass index (BMI), disease activity score 28 (DAS28), and health assessment questionnaire disability index (HAQ-Di) were determined. The lipid profile determination includes the atherogenic index (AI) (TC/HDL) and Framingham Risk Score. HTWP is defined as a waist circumference >= 88 cm and triglycerides >= 150 mg/dL. Chi-squared and Student's t-tests were applied for comparisons. Results: HTWP was found in 38 (30.4%) patients. The subgroup with HTWP had a greater frequency of arterial hypertension (AHT) (57.9 vs. 37.9, p = 0.04), Type 2 DM (23.7 vs. 8.0, p= 0.02), BMI (29.7 +/- 3.2, vs. 26.8 +/- 4.3, p < 0.001), fat mass (39.3 +/- 4.8 vs. 34.7 +/- 6.8, p < 0.001), and AI (4.7 +/- 1.2 vs. 3.7 +/- 1.0, p < 0.001). No differences between DAS28 and HAQ-Di were found. HTWP was associated with the presence of MetS and CVR (p < 0.001 and p = 0.012, respectively). Conclusion: The HTWP in RA is associated with CVRF, and its potential predictive role should be evaluated in longitudinal studies.

Automated summary

The study aimed to evaluate the association of HTWP with risk factors and found a significant correlation between HTWP and risk factors such as arterial hypertension, type 2 diabetes, body mass index, fat mass, and atherogenic index. These findings are important for risk assessment and prediction.