NCT01389388

Effects of Rosuvastatin on Carotid Artery Plaques in Patients With Inflammatory Joint Disease

Cholesterol Plaques in Carotid and Coronary Arteries and the Effect of Rosuvastatin in Rheumatoid Arthritis, Ankylosing Spondylitis and Other Inflammatory Joint Diseases

• Status: Completed
• Phase: N/A
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 114 (actual)
• Sponsor: Diakonhjemmet Hospital · Academic / Other
• Sex: All
• Age: 35 Years – 80 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Not accepted

Summary

Patients with rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) and Ankylosing Spondylitis (AS) are at greater risk of developing cardiovascular disease. The reason(s) for this have not been well investigated, but there is a general understanding that systemic inflammation plays a part in the increased cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. In spite of the increased risk in these patients, they have not been included as a high risk patient group in cardiovascular prevention guidelines. The investigators have carried out a cardiovascular study of RA and AS patients, as well as patients with arthritis for the first time. The investigators have demonstrated cholesterol plaques in the carotid artery in some of these patients. Plaques in the carotid artery represent a risk for development of cerebral stroke and are significantly associated with myocardial infarction. These plaques, which are asymptomatic and do not cause haemodynamically significant narrowing, diameter reduction (i.e. operation is not indicated), are vascular atheromatous disease. Therefore, according to prevailing cardiovascular guidelines (SCORE 2007), these patients shall have secondary prevention with a lipid lowering agent with the LDL-cholesterol goal of 1.8 mmol/L and HDL-cholesterol \> 1.0 mmol/L for men and \> 1.1 mmol/L for women. Statins are cholesterol-lowering drugs, and have been shown to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease significantly. In addition, reduction in the size of coronary plaques has been induced by statins, when the LDL has been reduced to 1.6-1.8 mmol/l. Plaques in the carotid or coronary arteries have not previously been treated and characterized in patients with RA, AS and other inflammatory forms of arthritis. The aim of this study is to treat patients with cholesterol plaques in the carotid artery with cholesterol-lowering medication, in the form of Rosuvastatin for 18 months, and characterize the effects on the plaques in the carotid and coronary arteries. In addition, the investigators want to clarify the connection between plaques in the carotid and coronary arteries in patients with RA, AS and other inflammatory forms of arthritis.

Conditions

• Carotid Artery Plaque
• Ankylosing Spondylitis
• Rheumatoid Arthritis

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
DRUG	Rosuvastatin	All the patients who have signed the informed consent will after they have had performed a MCT and possibly SCC with an IVUS, will be give Rosuvastatinuntill their LDL level has reached 1.6-1.8 mmol/l. The objective is that all the participants should have reached 1.6-1.8 mmol/l 3 months after the start of the study. The participants will remain on Rosuvastatin medication for a total of 18 months.

Timeline

• Start date: 2013-01-01
• Primary completion: 2013-08-01
• Completion: 2013-08-01
• First posted: 2011-07-08
• Last updated: 2015-05-07

Locations

1 site across 1 country: Norway