Endocrine Abstracts

Introduction: Patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) face an increased risk of developing premature cardiovascular disease and limited ability to modify risk factors such exercise or dietetic habits. Influence of exercise, dietetic habits or treatment on lipid profile has been little studied in patients with RA. Here we aim to determine differences in lipid profile between two cohorts of patients with RA with different habits and patterns of treatment.

Methods/design: Cross-sectional study. Lipid profiles of 50 RA out-patients from South Spain were compared with 50 age and sex matched controls from Central Mexico. Traditional risk factors were analyzed such as overweight or obesity, smoking status and hypertension. Glucose and lipid profiles as well as dietetic habits and physical activity were recorded.

Results: RA patients from Spain were more likely to practice physical activity (66.7% vs 33.3%; P=0.001), had lower BMI (24.9±4.6 kg/m² vs 26.7±3.6 kg/m²; P=0.004). No significant differences in smoking status, prevalence of diabetes (steroid induced diabetes or type 2 diabetes), alcohol consumption or mean dose of steroid treatment were found. Regarding to lipid profile, Mexican patients had lower levels of LDLc (86±31.5 vs 128.7±24.9 mg/dl; P<0.001) In contrast, the European population had lower levels of triglycerides (124.9±14.6 vs 145.3±3.6 mg/dl; P<0.001) and higher HDLc (60.5±12.8 vs 52.1±21.4; P<0.005).

Conclusions: In patients with RA, exercise can modulate lipid profile favourably irrespective of corticoid dose or steroid induced diabetes. More accurate studies focusing on specific nutrients would be useful to confirm our results.