Carotid arterial stiffness in patients with rheumatoid arthritis assessed by speckle tracking strain imaging: its association with carotid atherosclerosis.

Abstract

Carotid atherosclerosis was more common in RA patients, and carotid arterial stiffness had significant correlation with disease duration and disease activity of RA. Speckle tracking strain imaging is a comparative method for the assessment of elastic properties of carotid artery of RA patients.