MICRO- AND MACROVASCULAR ALTERATIONS IN RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS COMPARED TO TYPE 2 DIABETES MELLITUS: EVIDENCE OF SIMILAR DEGREE OF ORGAN DAMAGE.

Patients with RA present impaired markers of micro- and macrovascular dysfunction, even in the absence of cardiovascular comorbidities including hypertension and whilst at remission or low disease activity. Moreover, the degree of divergent micro- and macrovascular alterations in this well-characterized group of RA patients appears comparable to that associated with DM2. These findings are line with the widely held perception that RA should be regarded as a novel cardiovascular risk factor equivalent to DM2.