Gene Linked to Inflammatory Arthritis Also Raises Heart Risks

ScienceDaily (Feb. 4, 2008) — People with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), an inflammatory autoimmune disease, tend to die younger and, largely from cardiovascular disease (CVD). One explanation for this increasingly recognized fact is that inflammation promotes atherosclerosis. A marker of inflammation, elevation of the C-reactive protein (CRP) level has been shown to predict CVD in the general population. However, other highly inflammatory diseases--Crohn's, for example--do not carry the same high risk of premature death from heart disease.