Women with Rheumatoid Arthritis Are at Increased Risk for MI

Women are more than twice as likely as men to develop rheumatoid arthritis (RA), an inflammatory condition that may be associated with increased risk for cardiovascular disease. Using data from the Nurses' Health Study sample of more than 120,000 women, investigators compared rates of stroke and myocardial infarction in subjects with and without RA. Women reporting RA provided medical records and completed questionnaires about connective tissue disease. Rheumatologists reviewed the medical records and confirmed 527 cases of RA.

Rates of hypertension, diabetes, current smoking, and high cholesterol levels were similar in women with and without RA, although women with RA had a slightly lower average BMI and a significantly lower average physic…