Cardiovascular risk in patients with spondyloarthritis

Spondyloarthritis (SpA) is the second most common chronic inflammatory rheumatic disease after rheumatoid arthritis. This pathology has been evolving for several years, in terms of classification and nosology, as well as comorbidities, imaging and therapeutic advances. SpA encompasses different phenotypic forms (radiographic or non-radiographic axial, peripheral articular, enthesitic articular). Extra-articular manifestations (such as psoriasis, Crohns disease, ulcerative colitis and anterior uveitis) help to better characterize the phenotype of the disease. Although the clinical presentation varies from patient to patient, there is growing evidence of premature cardiovascular risk and increased cardiovascular morbidity and mortality in this population. Two recent meta-analyses have suggested that the increased cardiovascular morbidity and mortality in SpA is related to early and accelerated atherosclerosis.