Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39962010›Full record

ArticleClinical rheumatology2025

Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease and cardiovascular risk factors in rheumatoid arthritis.

A N Saidi, W B Theel, B Burggraaf, A J van der Lelij, D E Grobbee, J D van Zeben, E van der Zwan-van Beek, S P Rauh, M Castro Cabezas

Abstract read
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.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
4citing papers in PubMed
–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. Trial
  2. Article
  3. Article
  4. Review
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

9 authors.

A N SaidiDepartment of Internal Medicine, Centre of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Vascular Medicine, Franciscus Gasthuis & Vlietland, Rotterdam, the Netherlands. a.saidi@franciscus.nl.ORCID http://orcid.org/0009-0003-9732-430X
W B TheelDepartment of Internal Medicine, Centre of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Vascular Medicine, Franciscus Gasthuis & Vlietland, Rotterdam, the Netherlands.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-3639-0963
B BurggraafDepartment of Internal Medicine, Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, the Netherlands.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-3935-1233
A J van der LelijDepartment of Internal Medicine, Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, the Netherlands.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-1059-0126
J D van ZebenDepartment of Rheumatology, Franciscus Gasthuis & Vlietland, Rotterdam, the Netherlands.
E van der Zwan-van BeekDepartment of Clinical Chemistry, Franciscus Gasthuis & Vlietland, Rotterdam, the Netherlands.ORCID http://orcid.org/0009-0004-3464-264X
S P RauhDepartment of Science, Franciscus Gasthuis & Vlietland, Rotterdam, the Netherlands.
M Castro CabezasDepartment of Internal Medicine, Centre of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Vascular Medicine, Franciscus Gasthuis & Vlietland, Rotterdam, the Netherlands.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectivesRheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic autoimmune disease linked with metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD), which may increase cardiovascular (CV) risk. This study explores the association between liver fibrosis, assessed by the Fibrosis-4 (FIB-4) index, and CV risk factors in RA patients.

methodsCross-sectional data from the Franciscus Rheumatoid Arthritis and Cardiovascular Intervention Study (FRANCIS), a randomized, cardiovascular single center, intervention study involving RA patients without cardiovascular disease (CVD) or type 2 diabetes (T2DM), were analyzed. Liver fibrosis was assessed using FIB-4, with a cut-off point of ≥ 1.3 to define high fibrosis risk, and its relationship with CV risk factors, medication use, and subclinical atherosclerosis, measured by carotid intima-media thickness (cIMT), was evaluated.

resultsAmong 326 patients (68.4% female, age 53 ± 11 years, BMI 26.5 ± 4.5 kg/m

conclusionsElevated FIB-4 in RA patients is associated with increased cIMT, higher blood pressure, and elevated atherogenic remnants. Incorporating FIB-4 measurements into routine clinical care for RA populations could effectively identify individuals at the highest CV risk, enabling the implementation of more intensive CV risk management strategies. Key Points • RA patients with liver fibrosis have higher cIMT, indicating greater risk of atherosclerosis. • RA patients with liver fibrosis show accumulation of circulating atherogenic chylomicron remnants, contributing to atherogenesis. • HCQ may provide a protective effect against liver fibrosis in RA patients.

Indexed as

Arthritis, RheumatoidCardiovascular DiseasesFatty LiverLiver CirrhosisAdultAgedAtherosclerosisCarotid Intima-Media ThicknessCross-Sectional StudiesFemaleHeart Disease Risk FactorsHumansMaleMiddle AgedRisk FactorsChylomicron remnantsFIB-4Liver fibrosisMASHMASLD

Identifiers

PMID39962010
PMCPMC11993437

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Registered trials

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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.