Abstract :
Aims & Objective: This study assessed cardiovascular risk using SCORE2 in patients with Chronic Inflammatory Rheumatic Diseases CIRD and explored its association with inflammatory markers.Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study, was conducted in the rheumatology. A department of Al Ayachi hospital in Morocco, between 2021 and 2024, and included patients over 40 years of age with confirmed CIRD.Results: This study included 203 CIRD patients: 69% had rheumatoid arthritis (RA), 25.6% had spondyloarthritis (SpA), and 5.4% had undifferentiated CIRD. RA patients were older and predominantly female, while SpA was more frequent in younger males. Inflammatory activity and use of biologic therapies were comparable across groups, but RA patients more often received csDMARDs and glucocorticoids, while NSAIDs were more common in SpA. The overall median SCORE2 was 3.75, indicating moderate cardiovascular risk, significantly higher in RA (4.1) than SpA (2.6) (p = 0.027). SCORE2 was independently associated with NSAID and corticosteroid use. In the SpA group, corticosteroid use and radiographic disease progression were linked to higher SCORE2, while higher BASDAI scores correlated with lower risk. For RA, seropositivity was associated with higher SCORE2. A moderate inverse correlation was found between CRP and lipid levels, confirming the influence of inflammation on lipid profiles.Conclusion: Patients with CIRD, particularly those with RA, exhibit a moderate cardiovascular risk profile. Our findings suggest that SCORE2 is linked to chronic use of NSAIDs and glucocorticoids, highlighting the need for cautious prescribing and a holistic approach to CV risk management in this population.
Keyword :
Cardiovascular risk, Score 2, CIRD, Rheumatoid arthritis, Spondyloarthritis.