Cardiovascular Outcomes in the VA's Rheumatoid Arthritis(VARA) Population
Assessing Risk of Cardiovascular Events in RA Patients Using a Retrospective Cohort From the VARA Registry
1 other identifier
observational
450
1 country
1
Brief Summary
Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a symmetric, peripheral polyarthritis of uncertain etiology that can lead to joint deformity and destruction. However, the effects of RA are not confined simply to joint involvement. Virtually every organ system can be affected by RA if left untreated. Of particular note is RA's affect on the cardiovascular system. RA patients have a reduced lifespan compared to the general population primarily due to an increased cardiovascular disease burden (1). Recently, RA has been linked to the development of preclinical atherosclerosis in the carotid arteries as measured by ultrasonography (2). Women with RA have also been shown to have an increased incidence of nonfatal myocardial infarctions (3). Despite these studies showing the effects of RA on the cardiovascular disease burden of those who are afflicted, no study to date has compared the number of cardiovascular events in a large RA patient population to a risk factor and age matched control group. Consequently it is the goal of this study to determine whether the cardiovascular event ratio in an RA patient cohort exceeds an age and risk factor matched cohort of non-RA patients. This study will also attempt to ascertain whether specific cardiovascular risk factors contribute to the cardiovascular morbidity and mortality associated with RA and if any standard cardiovascular medicines disproportionately contribute to patient outcome. Hypothesis: Given the increased cardiovascular disease burden associated with RA patients they are likely to suffer from a statistically significant increased risk of cardiovascular events when compared to an age and risk factor matched cohort.
Trial Health
Trial Health Score
Automated assessment based on enrollment pace, timeline, and geographic reach
participants targeted
Target at P75+ for all trials
Started Aug 2006
Shorter than P25 for all trials
1 active site
Health score is calculated from publicly available data and should be used for screening purposes only.
Trial Relationships
Click on a node to explore related trials.
Study Timeline
Key milestones and dates
Study Start
First participant enrolled
August 1, 2006
CompletedStudy Completion
Last participant's last visit for all outcomes
January 1, 2007
CompletedFirst Submitted
Initial submission to the registry
February 1, 2007
CompletedFirst Posted
Study publicly available on registry
February 5, 2007
CompletedFebruary 5, 2007
February 1, 2007
February 1, 2007
February 1, 2007
Conditions
Keywords
Eligibility Criteria
You may qualify if:
- Patient included in the VA Rheumatoid Arthritis database previously, who by definition will meet criteria for RA.
- Control subjects will not carry the diagnosis of RA.
Contact the study team to confirm eligibility.
Sponsors & Collaborators
- Dallas VA Medical Centerlead
- Centocor, Inc.collaborator
Study Sites (1)
Dallas VA Medical Center-Rheumatology
Dallas, Texas, 75216, United States
Related Publications (1)
Wolfe F, Mitchell DM, Sibley JT, Fries JF, Bloch DA, Williams CA, Spitz PW, Haga M, Kleinheksel SM, Cathey MA. The mortality of rheumatoid arthritis. Arthritis Rheum. 1994 Apr;37(4):481-94. doi: 10.1002/art.1780370408.
PMID: 8147925BACKGROUND
MeSH Terms
Conditions
Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)
Study Officials
- PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
Salahuddin Kazi, MBBS
Dallas VA Medical Center
Study Design
- Study Type
- observational
- Observational Model
- DEFINED POPULATION
- Time Perspective
- RETROSPECTIVE
- Sponsor Type
- FED
Study Record Dates
First Submitted
February 1, 2007
First Posted
February 5, 2007
Study Start
August 1, 2006
Study Completion
January 1, 2007
Last Updated
February 5, 2007
Record last verified: 2007-02