Background: Individuals with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) are at risk of developing cardiovascular disease (CVD), but patient perceptions of CVD are not routinely assessed. We performed a systematic literature review to evaluate awareness of the association between RA and CVD, and perceived risk of CVD among individuals with RA. Methods: Three electronic databases (MEDLINE, EMBASE, and PubMed) were searched for English language articles between the years of 1990-2018. Search terms pertained to RA, CVD, knowledge, awareness, or perceptions of CVD risk. Abstracts were screened for inclusion/exclusion by two independent reviewers. Results: A total of 33 abstracts were screened and 6 underwent full review. The overall sample size was 478 subjects and included patients with established RA who were predominantly female with a mean age range of 53 to 64 years. RA disease characteristics relevant to CVD were not uniformly reported, including the use of DMARDs, corticosteroids, or NSAIDs. A high proportion of subjects (range 73 to 97%) were unaware of an increased risk of developing CVD in relation to their RA, and this frequently occurred in those with a greater number of traditional CVD risk factors. Misperceptions about CVD were common, and the majority of subjects misestimated their actual CVD risk. Conclusion: Individuals with RA at highest risk for CVD report low awareness and perceived risk of this comorbidity. This represents a knowledge gap in need of intervention but must be tailored to patients' needs. An understanding of the system- and individual-level barriers preventing CVD awareness is needed. Only then will approaches to improve CVD screening and management in RA be successful.
CITATION STYLE
Ghosh-Swaby, O. R., & Kuriya, B. (2019). Awareness and perceived risk of cardiovascular disease among individuals living with rheumatoid arthritis is low: Results of a systematic literature review. Arthritis Research and Therapy, 21(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s13075-019-1817-y
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