Medical Emergencies · single question
Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is most associated with which serious systemic complication?
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Correct answer: B. Myocardial infarction (cardiovascular disease)
- A. ❌ While corticosteroid treatment can elevate blood sugar, Type II DM is not a direct RA sequela.
- B. ✅ Correct. RA is associated with a SIGNIFICANTLY INCREASED risk of cardiovascular disease including myocardial infarction. Chronic systemic inflammation in RA accelerates atherosclerosis. RA patients have approximately 2x the cardiovascular mortality risk of the general population.
- C. ❌ CKD is not a primary RA complication (though NSAID use can affect kidney function).
- D. ❌ Pulmonary embolism is not specifically associated with RA as a primary complication.
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