Prevalence of metabolic syndrome in rheumatoid arthritis patients from Northeastern Brazil: Association with disease activity

Objectives: To determine the prevalence of metabolic syndrome (MetS) in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and controls from Northeastern Brazil and to verify its association with specific RA parameters and cardiovascular risk factors. Methods: The prevalence of MetS was assessed cross-sectionally in 338 RA patients from a single center and 84 age and gender-matched controls from the local community. MetS was defined according to NCEP/ATPIII guidelines. Disease activity was assessed with CDAI, SDAI and DAS28 scores. Independent risk factors for MetS in RA patients were identified by multivariate logistic regression. Results: The prevalence of MetS was higher in RA patients than in controls (51.3% vs. 21.8%; p