Figure 1.

The complex interrelations between several risk factors in the development of premature atherosclerosis in RA. Modifiable risk factors represent a broad spectrum of heterogeneous parameters including traditional, surrogate and novel mainly RA-related risk factors. Age, sex, genetic basis of autoimmunity and atherosclerosis, as well as the presence of disease specific autoantibodies, are also drivers of vascular disease contributing to a lesser or greater extent to CV complications in this population.

CVD, cardiovascular disease; NSAIDs, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs.