The relationship between disease activity and nt-probnp level was searched in patients with ra who have not cardiac diseases

Cardiovascular features in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) are common. Among those are the classical extra-articular features that not only include pericarditis, myocarditis, coronary vasculitis, arrythmia and valve diseases, but also congestive heart failure and ischaemic heart disease which are found more frequently anda re associated with and increased mortality compared with the general population.Increased concentrations of NT-proBNP are associated with cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. In this study the relationship between disease activity and NT-proBNP level was searched in patients with RA.In 77 patients with RA without heart failure and 31 control subjects serum concentrations of NT-proBNP, ESR, CRP, Hb, Plt, WBC, RF were measured assessed. NT-proBNP levels of patients were compared according to DAS 28 score in patients under remission, with active disease, and highly active disease.There is a positive correlation between NT-proBNP levels and age (p<0.03), BM (p<0.03), and CRP (p<0.03). There is not a significant relation between NT-proBNP levels and Hb, leukocyte, thrombocyte counts, and RF levels (p>0.05). A significant difference was not detected between disease duration, disease activity and NT-proBNP levels (p>0.05).