Osteoarthritis and Your Heart

Its well established that patients with inflammatory arthritis, such as rheumatoid arthritis (RA), are at higher risk of heart attack and stroke. The body-wide, or systemic, inflammation that damages the joints in RA, psoriatic arthritis, lupus and other autoimmune diseases also may wreak havoc on the heart and blood vessels.Now, several studies, including one published in the January issue of Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases, have identified a connection between osteoarthritis (OA), the most common form of arthritis, and cardiovascular disease.