The Impact of Metabolic Syndrome on A Cohort of Egyptian Rheumatoid Arthritis Patients

Abstract

SUMMARY R A is an autoimmune disease, affects nearly 1% of the world’s adults, primarily affects the synovial joints. This inflammation results in pain and stiffness, and can lead to progressive joint damage resulting in deformities and loss of function. Manifestations of RA include articular manifestations, affecting small joints and extra-articular manifestations. MetS is becoming a major public health issue. MetS is a group of risk factors for type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular diseases, including insulin resistance, abdominal obesity, dyslipidemia, hypertension, and impaired fasting glucose. The relation between components of MetS with RA is highly prevalent in patients with RA. Many different studies showed that DAS28 is higher among patients with obesity than normal-weight patients with RA. Excess adipose tissue is associated with the production of various proinflammatory cytokines, including TNF-α, IL-1β, and IL-6. Also some adipokines exert potent modulatory actions on target tissues and cells involved in rheumatic disease including cartilage, synovium, bone, and various immune cells. The aim of this study is to assess the impact of MetS on the pattern and clinical presentation of RA in a cohort of Egyptian patients and its relation to disease activity and functional status of the patients.