Background:Cardiovascular (CV) disease is the leading cause of morbidity and mortality in patients with inflammatory arthritis. The growing attention to the CV risk characterizing patients with autoimmune inflammatory disease led EULAR to provide recommendations on CV risk management (1). To date, there are no data on the adherence to EULAR recommendation among Italian rheumatologists.Objectives:Our objective was to measure the level of awareness and the attitude to manage CV risk.Methods:Italian rheumatologists were invited to anonymously answer a web-based questionnaire designed by the steering committee of the Cardiovascualr and Obesity in Rheumatic Diseases (CORDIS) study group of the Italian Society of Rheumatology. The first part of the questionnaire concerned demographic information; the subsequent questions concerned the attitude to assess CV risk and the limitations for not assessing, the specific CV risks considered in the clinical practice and their management. Data are presented using standard summary statistics and were expressed as mean+/-standard deviation or median (interquartile range) according to variables’ distribution.Results:One thousand-three hundred rheumatologists (of whom 500 are under 40 and 100 over 70 years of age) have been invited by email to complete the survey. The questionnaire has been filled by 102 rheumatologists (7.85%) (53 females and 49 males) with a median age of 38 years (32-48) and a median of 4 (0-15) years of specialization. Most of the physician who answered the questionnaire works in University Hospitals (67/102; 65.7%), 22 out of 102 (21.6%) in non-academic Hospitals, and the remaining 12,7% in territorial outpatient clinics.When asked if they usually evaluate CV risk in patients with autoimmune rheumatic diseases, 67/102 (67.2%) answered positively, 18 no (17.6%) and 7 did not answer the question; 82% of those who routinely assess the CV do it by themselves. The barriers limiting the assessment of CV risk included: i) lack of time (79%); ii) complex management (12%); inadequate training (9%).As for the CV risk factors, lipid profile, hypertension and diabetes are assessed by most of the rheumatologists (90%, 89% and 88%, respectively), family history by 78% and body mass index by 75.3% and waist circumference only by 25% of those who completed the survey.Finally, only 18.6% stated that they manage by themselves CV risk in patients with autoimmune rheumatic diseases while 50% refer patients to other specialists and 23.4% to general practitioner.Conclusion:Despite the growing awareness on the CV risk characterizing patients with autoimmune rheumatic disease, about one third of young Italian rheumatologists does not strictly adhere to the EULAR recommendations on CV management, mostly due to insufficient time during the routine care visits.References:[1] Agca R et al. Ann Rheum Dis 2017; 76: 17-28.Disclosure of Interests:Francesca Romana Spinelli Grant/research support from: Pfizer, Speakers bureau: Lilly, BMS, Celgene, Fabio Cacciapaglia Speakers bureau: BMS; Roche; Pfizer; Abbvie, Fabiola Atzeni: None declared, Gianluca Erre: None declared, Andreina Manfredi: None declared, Elena Bartoloni Bocci: None declared, Matteo Piga: None declared, Garifallia Sakellariou Speakers bureau: Abbvie, Novartis, MSD, Ombretta Viapiana: None declared, Elisa Gremese Speakers bureau: Abbvie, BMS, Celgene, Jannsen, Lilly, MSD, Novartis, Pfizer, Sandoz, UCB
Human Endogenous Retroviruses (HERVs) and Autoimmune Rheumatic
Disease: Is There a Link?
