Rheumatic and Autoimmune Disorders and CVD Risk in Women

Rheumatic diseases are musculoskeletal diseases, of which most, but not all are also autoimmune. Rheumatic and autoimmune diseases are more common in women than in men. The general risk of cardiovascular (CV) disease (CVD) is increased in patients with rheumatic disorders with a factor of 1.5 in both women and men, but the CVD risk varies across the different diseases. The increased CVD risk is related to a combination of high prevalence of traditional CV risk factors, adverse effects of medication, and presence of chronic systemic inflammation. Reduction of inflammation is beneficial in this patient group and antirheumatic therapy has been associated with reduced CVD risk. Corticosteroids and non-steroid anti-inflammatory drugs should be used with caution. Awareness of CVD risk is vital in this patient group as CV risk scores developed for the general population do not fully capture the CV risk. Management of traditional CV risk factors should be done in accordance with national guidelines and is important for improved CV prognosis.