Metabolic syndrome, rheumatoid and psoriatic arthritis : managing cardiovascular risk

There is an increased risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and mortality in people with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and psoriatic arthritis (PsA). There have been improvements in disease-specific rheumatological outcomes in these conditions, aided by earlier recognition, tighter control approaches and more effective treatments. The focus is now shifting to concurrently preventing and managing co-morbidities, with some international rheumatology and dermatology guidelines now incorporating advice on co-morbidity management. However, it remains uncertain if the increased CVD risk is simply due to an increased clustering of established risk factors, or whether people with RA and PsA have a higher intrinsic risk of CVD.