Chronic inflammation-enhanced atherosclerosis: can we consider it as a new clinical syndrome?

Incidence of cardiovascular disease in patients with chronic autoimmune disorder like rheumatoid arthritis is much higher than in general population. Cardiovascular events (e.g. myocardial infarction or stroke) are caused by premature accelerated development of atherosclerosis. Chronic inflammation-enhanced atherosclerosis syndrome is proposed as a separate syndrome occurring in patients suffering of chronic inflammation. It is suggested that atherosclerosis as an inflammatory disease and long-lasting extravascular inflammation have common mechanisms resulting in an increase in atherosclerosis and its sequellae, cardiovascular diseases.