Association of Lipid Profile with Disease Activity of Rheumatoid Arthritis Patients

Abstract

Background: Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic autoimmune disease-causing systemic inflammation, joint destruction, and increased cardiovascular risk. Lipid profile abnormalities in early rheumatoid arthritis (RA) may contribute to premature atherosclerosis and an increased risk of early cardiovascular events. This study aim was to assess the relationship between lipid profile and disease activity in RA patients at a tertiary care hospital. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted in the Department of Medicine at Rajshahi Medical College Hospital (RMCH), Rajshahi, with 30 respondents (by ACR criteria) and severity assessment were done by DAS-28 (Disease Activity Score) score, through purposive sampling method. Participants were requested to perform a fasting lipid profile. Researcher were conducting the interview focusing demographic profile, clinical profile RA, and severity grading of RA by interview using a preformed structured questionnaire.  Results: The study revealed that the mean age of participants was 39.07±9.82 years, female predominant. The mean (DAS-28) was 4.61±1.03, and the mean disease duration was 4.67±1.40 years. A significant negative correlation was observed between DAS28 (Disease Activity Score) and serum HDL cholesterol levels (Pearson’s r= -0.470, p=0.009), suggesting that as disease activity increases, HDL cholesterol levels decrease. However, LDL cholesterol levels were not significantly correlated with DAS28 (Pearson’s r= -0.266, p=0.155). Conclusion: In conclusion, these findings highlight the impact of RA disease severity on lipid metabolism, particularly HDL cholesterol levels, which may contribute to the increased cardiovascular risk in RA patients. Further research with a larger sample size is recommended to explore the underlying mechanisms and potential clinical interventions.