Cardiovascular risk profile and osteoarthritis - considering sex and multisite joint involvement: a CLSA population-based study.

Objective Investigate a profile of cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors by sex among individuals with and without OA, and considering single and multisite joint OA. Methods Data source: Cycle-1, Comprehensive-Cohort, Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging, a national sample of individuals aged 45-85. Systemic inflammatory/metabolic CVD risk factors collected: C-reactive protein (hsCRP), high density lipoprotein, triglycerides, total cholesterol, body mass index (BMI), systolic blood pressure, and hemoglobin A1c. Smoking history was also collected. Respondents indicated doctor-diagnosed OA in the knees, hips and/or hands, and were characterized as yes/no and single/multisite. Individuals with OA were age-sex matched to non-OA controls. Covariates: age, sex, education, income, physical activity, timed-up-and-go, comorbidities. A latent CVD risk variable was derived in females and males; standardized scores were categorized: lowest/mid-low/mid-high/highest risk. Associations with OA were quantified using ordinal logistic regressions. Results 6098 respondents (3049 with OA) had a median age of 63 years, 55.8% female. One-third of OA respondents were in the highest risk category, versus one-fifth of non-OA. Apart from BMI (the largest contributor in both sexes), hsCRP (an inflammation marker) was predominant in females, and metabolic factors and smoking in males. Overall, OA was associated with worse CVD risk quartiles compared to non-OA. OA was increasingly associated with worse CVD risk quartiles with increasing risk thresholds among females with multisite OA but not males. Conclusions Findings suggest unique CVD risks by sex/multisite subgroups, and point to a potentially important role for inflammation in OA over and above traditional CVD risk factors.