Change of the aortic elasticity in rheumatoid arthritis: Relationship to associated cardiovascular risk factors

Introduction: Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic, systemic, infl ammatory disease, which is associated with an excess of cardiovascular events. A decrease in the compliance of the arterial system, termed arterial stiffness, results in increased cardiac workload. Primary prevention of cardiovascular disease (CVD) is a priority for modern medicine. Therefore, further studies are required to explore the mechanisms through which CVD increases in RA. Patients and Methods: This case–control study was performed to detect possible change o