Arterial wall inflammation is increased in rheumatoid arthritis compared with osteoarthritis, as a marker of early atherosclerosis.
Rabia AgcaAnnelies B BlankenAlper M van SijlYvo M SmuldersAlexandre E VoskuylConny van der LakenRonald BoellaardMichael T NurmohamedPublished in: Rheumatology (Oxford, England) (2021)
Patients with RA have increased 18F-FDG uptake in the arterial wall compared with patients with OA, as a possible marker of early atherosclerosis. Furthermore, a higher level of clinical disease activity and circulating inflammatory markers was associated with higher arterial 18F-FDG uptake, which may support a role of arterial wall inflammation in the pathogenesis of vascular complications in patients with RA.