SAT0238 Subclinical Atherosclerosis Is Lower in Patients with Systemic Sclerosis than in Patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis

BackgroundDifferent studies and meta-analysis have shown that subclinical atherosclerosis (AS) and vascular complications (VC) are higher in patients with Systemic Sclerosis (SSc) than in healthy population. A major intrahospital mortality because of VC in patients with SSc as to those with Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) and Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) has also been described (Dave AJ, et al. Arthritis Care Res 2014; 66: 323–7).ObjectivesTo compare the presence of subclinical AS among patients with SSc, RA and a population of healthy people.MethodsTransverse study including patients diagnosed with SSc and RA, controlled in a Rheumatology Department of a tertiary hospital. Patients with previous VC, renal failure and/or diabetes were excluded. The control group (healthy individuals) were volunteers from the same geographical area. We gathered demographic variables (age,gender,BMI), smoking status, clinical (blood pressure), and analytical variables (cholesterol fractions, atherogenic index [AI]). The extracranial branches of carotid artery were explored by ultrasonography (US) using an ESAOTE MyLab XV70 with a 7–12 MHz linear transducer and an automated program measuring intima-media thickness (IMT) through radiofrequency (RFQIMT). The presence of atheroma plaques as per the Mannheim consensus was registered. Statistical analysis was done using the IBM-SPSS Statistics v22.0 package.Results266 patients were included, 23,7% (85) with SSc and 50,4% (181) with RA. The control group was conformed by 93 healthy individuals. Women proportion, arterial hypertension and age were greater in RA and SSc patients than in healthy subjects (p