TITLE:
Cardiovascular Disease Risk Associated to Chronic Inflammatory Rheumatic Diseases in Patients Seen in Rheumatology Unit in Yaounde, Cameroon
AUTHORS:
Madeleine Singwe-Ngandeu, Mickael Essouma, Alain Patrick Menanga, Vicky Jocelyne Ama Moor, Caroline Ngoufack, Sandrine Sa’a Lontsi, Yolande Vanessa Ayi Efoua, Thierry Ntandzi
KEYWORDS:
Chronic Inflammatory Rheumatic Diseases, Cardiovascular Risk, Cardiovascular Risk Factors, Cardiovascular Disease, WHO/ISH Risk Charts, Sub-Saharan Africa
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Journal of Rheumatology and Autoimmune Diseases,
Vol.6 No.1,
February
19,
2016
ABSTRACT: Introduction: Even though there is a huge burden of both chronic inflammatory rheumatic diseases
(CIRD) and cardiovascular diseases in Sub-Saharan Africa, no published study from this region
has yet addressed the issue of cardiovascular diseases in a group including different CIRD to the
best of our knowledge. Objective: We conducted this research with the aim to explore the association
between CIRD and cardiovascular risk in a Cameroonian population based on the World
Health Organization (WHO) and International Society for Hypertension (ISH) risk charts. Methods:
This cross-sectional study included CIRD patients, followed at the rheumatology unit of the Yaounde
Central Hospital, and, who were matched to non-CIRD subjects for sex, age and race. Cardiovascular
risk factors were studied and subsequently the cardiovascular risk was estimated using the
WHO/ISH risk charts. Analyses were performed in Epi-info and SPSS software and results were
considered statistically significant for a p-value less than 0.05. Results: In total, 109 CIRD patients
and 111 non-CIRD subjects were included. Their respective mean ages were 44.4 ± 15.2 years and
44.2 ± 15.1 years. Odds ratio 2.09, 95% confidence interval (CI) (1.07 - 4.08); high BMI OR 1.89,
95% CI (1.1 - 3.24); diabetes mellitus (p = 0.03) and physical inactivity (p