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Association between microalbuminuria and metabolic syndrome in patients with rheumatoid arthritis

Abstract

Context

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an autoimmune, symmetrical polyarticular disease characterized by chronic inflammation of the synovial joints. Microalbuminuria (MA) occurs as leakage of small amounts of albumin into the urine. Metabolic syndrome (MetS) describes the risk factors for cardiovascular diseases such as dyslipidemia, obesity, hypertension, and diabetes.

Aim

The aim of this study was to detect the prevalence of MA in patients with RA and study its correlation with disease activity and severity. Our aim extends to identify the association of MA with MetS in RA.

Patients and methods

This study was carried out on 30 adult RA patients, 30% of them were men and 70% were women (mean±SD: 42.27±10.99 years). Their mean disease duration was 12.8±7.06 years. A total of 20 apparently healthy adults, age-matched and sex-matched served as a control group. All the patients were subjected to full history taking, full clinical examination, laboratory investigations, and assessment of disease activity using the disease activity score for 28joints score. Urinary microalbumin level was measured in all participants in early morning samples by the immunoturbidometry method. MetS was assessed in all participants according to Grundy’s criteria.

Results

The frequency of MetS was highly statistically significant in patients with RA compared with the control group. The RA patients’ group had highly significantly elevated mean values of urinary microalbumin and urinary albumin to creatinine ratio compared with the control group.

Conclusion

MA and MetS are frequent in RA, particularly in those with long-standing disease. Early detection of albuminuria allows early intervention with the goal of reducing inflammation development in RA, cardiovascular risk. MetS is frequent in RA patients with MA.

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Correspondence to Asmaa Shoshan MSc.

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Abdelmonem, S., Eltanawy, R., Ismail, Y. et al. Association between microalbuminuria and metabolic syndrome in patients with rheumatoid arthritis. Egypt Rheumatol Rehabil 45, 87–93 (2018). https://doi.org/10.4103/err.err_37_17

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.4103/err.err_37_17

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