Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39909965›Full record

ArticleClinical rheumatology2025

Investigating the causal relationship between rheumatoid arthritis and cardiovascular disease: A Mendelian randomization study.

Xintong Xie, Guangliang Wei, Zhenboyang Tang, Huidong Chen, Xiru Lin, Chunyan Huang, Hao Yu, Youxian He, Mengxiang Li, Xue Zhang and 3 more

Abstract read
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In one paragraph

Article in Clinical rheumatology, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
4citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

4 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Article
  3. Article
  4. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

13 authors.

Xintong XieDepartment of Rheumatology and Immunology, The Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University, No. 25 Taiping Street, Jiangyang District, Luzhou, 646000, People's Republic of China.
Guangliang WeiDepartment of Rheumatology and Immunology, The Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University, No. 25 Taiping Street, Jiangyang District, Luzhou, 646000, People's Republic of China.
Zhenboyang TangDepartment of Rheumatology and Immunology, The Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University, No. 25 Taiping Street, Jiangyang District, Luzhou, 646000, People's Republic of China.
Huidong ChenDepartment of Rheumatology and Immunology, The Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University, No. 25 Taiping Street, Jiangyang District, Luzhou, 646000, People's Republic of China.
Xiru LinDepartment of Rheumatology and Immunology, The Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University, No. 25 Taiping Street, Jiangyang District, Luzhou, 646000, People's Republic of China.
Chunyan HuangDepartment of Rheumatology and Immunology, The Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University, No. 25 Taiping Street, Jiangyang District, Luzhou, 646000, People's Republic of China.
Hao YuDepartment of Rheumatology and Immunology, The Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University, No. 25 Taiping Street, Jiangyang District, Luzhou, 646000, People's Republic of China.
Youxian HeDepartment of Rheumatology and Immunology, The Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University, No. 25 Taiping Street, Jiangyang District, Luzhou, 646000, People's Republic of China.
Mengxiang LiDepartment of Rheumatology and Immunology, The Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University, No. 25 Taiping Street, Jiangyang District, Luzhou, 646000, People's Republic of China.
Xue ZhangDepartment of Rheumatology and Immunology, The Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University, No. 25 Taiping Street, Jiangyang District, Luzhou, 646000, People's Republic of China.
Chengsong HeDepartment of Rheumatology and Immunology, The Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University, No. 25 Taiping Street, Jiangyang District, Luzhou, 646000, People's Republic of China.
Yue HeDepartment of Ophthalmology, The Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, People's Republic of China.
Jie ChenDepartment of Rheumatology and Immunology, The Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University, No. 25 Taiping Street, Jiangyang District, Luzhou, 646000, People's Republic of China. cjlion@qq.com.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-5696-9070

Funding

the Project of Technology Department in Sichuan Province 2020YJ0187
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectivePrevious research has revealed a positive correlation between rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and cardiovascular diseases, but the causal relationship is unclear. This study applies Mendelian randomization to examine whether RA causally contributes to the likelihood of various cardiovascular diseases, such as heart failure, coronary artery disease, and atrial fibrillation.

methodsUsing genome-wide association data, we conducted a univariable MR (UVMR) analysis to evaluate the causal impact of RA on CVD, primarily utilizing the inverse variance weighted method. Additional MR methods were used to test the robustness of the results. Multivariable MR (MVMR) was applied to explore potential confounders.

resultsIn the European population, genetically predicted RA had a harmful causal effect on HF, with the IVW analysis indicating an OR of 1.06 (95% CI: 1.02-1.10, P < 0.01) based on 23 SNPs. No causal relationships were found between RA and other CVDs. The MVMR analysis did not identify significant causal impact of rheumatoid arthritis on HF after controlling for traditional risk factors. In the Asian population, RA was associated with an adverse effect on AF, with the IVW method reporting an OR of 1.20 (95% CI: 1.01-1.41, P = 0.03) for 5 SNPs. No other CVD relationships were found.

conclusionsOur MR analysis indicates that genetic susceptibility to rheumatoid arthritis increases the likelihood of heart failure in European populations and atrial fibrillation in East Asian populations. However, established CVD risk factors, such as smoking, overweight, and physical inactivity, remain critically important in the management of RA. Key Points • Multiple studies have highlighted a marked increase in the cardiovascular event risk among individuals with RA. However, additional RCTs are needed for confirmation. • We applied Mendelian randomization to explore the potential causal relationship between rheumatoid arthritis and cardiovascular conditions. The findings demonstrated a causal link between RA and heart failure among European populations, as well as an association between RA and atrial fibrillation in East Asian groups. • Further adjustments using multivariable Mendelian randomization to account for the influence of traditional cardiovascular risk factors revealed that the causal association between RA and heart failure disappeared.

Indexed as

Arthritis, RheumatoidCardiovascular DiseasesAtrial FibrillationCoronary Artery DiseaseEast Asian PeopleFemaleGenetic Predisposition to DiseaseGenome-Wide Association StudyHeart FailureHumansMaleMendelian Randomization AnalysisMiddle AgedPolymorphism, Single NucleotideRisk FactorsWhite PeopleCardiovascular diseasesCausal associationMendelian randomizationMultivariableRheumatoid arthritis

Identifiers

PMID39909965

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.