The Relationship Between Inflammatory ARTritis and CArdiac DIseAse

Study Overview
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Brief Summary
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The goal of this prospective cohort study is to investigate cardiac comorbidity in a random sample of approximately 1200 patients from a population of outpatients with rheumatoid arthritis and axial spondyloarthritis referred to collectively as inflammatory arthritis (IA). The main questions it aims to answer are: Using conventional echocardiography, the investigators aim to determine the prevalence of overt and asymptomatic cardiac dysfunction in a large random sample of outpatients with IA. Cardiac dysfunction will be evaluated by echocardiography and cardiac biomarkers (NT-pro-BNP, hs-TNT and hs-CRP). In patients without known heart disease: Using 2, 5 and 10 year follow-up, the investigators aim to examine if advanced echocardiography can be used to detect early signs of heart disease by investigating the clinical significance of adding deformation measures - alone and in combination with selected biomarkers - to conventional risk factors in the cardiac risk assessment of patients with IA Participants will undergo an echocardiographic examination in combination with a general health assessment including obtainment of cardiac biomarkers and a electrocardiogram. Using advanced echocardiography - Tissue Doppler Imaging, 2- dimensional speckle tracking echocardiography, 3D-echocardiography and 3-dimensional speckle tracking echocardiography - the investigators also aim to compare myocardial deformation parameters of patients with IA to a gender and age matched control group without IA from the Copenhagen City Heart Study.

Official Title
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Prevalence and Risk Factors Associated With Cardiac Comorbidity in Inflammatory Arthritis - A Prospective Cohort Study

Conditions
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Inflammatory Arthritis, Rheumatoid Arthritis, Spondylitis, Ankylosing, Axial Spondyloarthritis, Spondyloarthritis, Heart Failure, Ischemic Heart Disease, Valvular Heart Disease, Left Ventricular Systolic Dysfunction, Heart Failure, Systolic, Heart Failure, Diastolic, Myocardial Infarction, Myocardial Dysfunction, Cardiac Disease, Stroke

Participation Criteria
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Eligibility Criteria
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Inclusion Criteria: Persons with a diagnosis of with a confirmed diagnosis of rheumatoid Arthritis or axial spondyloarthritis Exclusion Criteria: Persons not able to cooperate Persons unable understand and sign informed consent

Ages Eligible for Study
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Minimum Age: 18 Years

Sexes Eligible for Study
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All

Accepts Healthy Volunteers
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No

Study Plan
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How is the study designed?
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Arms and Interventions

| Participant Group/Arm | Intervention/Treatment |
| --- | --- |
| Inflammatory arthritis patients<br>Patients with an confirmed diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis or axial spondyloarthritis. | |
| Participants from the general population<br>Patients with inflammatory arthritis will be compared to community-dwelling individuals from the 4th and 5th examination round from the Copenhagen City Heart Study (ClinicalTrials.gov identifier NCT02993172, I-Suite no. 03741, National Committee on Health Research Ethics approval HEH-2015-045). | |

What is the study measuring?
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Primary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Cardiovascular mortality |  | 2-year follow-up | 
| Cardiovascular mortality |  | 5-year follow-up | 
| Cardiovascular mortality |  | 10 year outcome | 
| Admission with congestive heart failure |  | 2-year follow-up | 
| Admission with congestive heart failure |  | 5-year follow-up | 
| Admission with congestive heart failure |  | 10 years | 
| Myocardial infarction |  | 2-year follow-up | 
| Myocardial infarction |  | 5-year follow-up | 
| Myocardial infarction |  | 10 years | 
| Revascularization | Percutaneous coronary intervention or coronary artery bypass graft | 2-year follow-up | 
| Revascularization | Percutaneous coronary intervention or coronary artery bypass graft | 5-year follow-up | 
| Revascularization | Percutaneous coronary intervention or coronary artery bypass graft | 10-year follow-up | 
| Incident Heart Failure |  | 2-year follow-up | 
| Incident Heart Failure |  | 5-year follow-up | 
| Incident Heart Failure |  | 10-year follow-up | 
| Incident valvular disease |  | 2-year follow-up | 
| Incident valvular disease |  | 5-year follow-up | 
| Incident valvular disease |  | 10-year follow-up |