RENAL HEMODYNAMICS EVALUATION IN PATIENTS SUFFERING FROM RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS WITH AND WITHOUT COMORBID HYPERTENSION

Aim. To study the features of renal arterial blood flow in patients suffering from rheumatoid arthritis, its interaction with visual markers of atherosclerosis in the presence of comorbid hypertension.

Materials and methods. 113 patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) were enrolled into this study. Depending on the comorbidity of hypertension the patients were divided into two groups: without (n=53) and with hypertension (n=60). The comparison group consisted of 41 patients with arterial hypertension without RA. Clinical characteristics and blood biochemistry of all the patients were measured. Renal arterial resistance index (RI), presence of atherosclerotic plaques (ASP) in the carotid arteries were assessed by ultrasound scan.

Results. In this investigation we report the correlation of the of renal resistive index (RI) and ultrasound signs of carotid atherosclerosis with hypertension in patients with RA. It was found out that there is the increase of RI in RA associated with the age of patients, the onset of the disease at a later age, the presence of atherosclerotic plaques in the carotid arteries and hypertension. In addition, patients with RA had a high frequency of bilateral RI increase by more than 0.7 (64%). Patients with bilateral high RI had a two-fold increase in the registration rate of atherosclerotic plaques in both group of patients with RA.

Conclusion. Increased renal arteries RI in patients with RA is a factor associated with the comorbid hypertension and accompanied by more significant atherosclerotic changes in the carotid arteries in the form of an increased incidence of atherosclerotic plaques.