Carotid Ultrasound-Based Strategy for Primary Prevention of Cardiovascular Events in Inflammatory Rheumatic Disease (PREVENER)

Background:

Patients with chronic inflammatory rheumatic diseases (RA, PsA, AxSpA, SLE) carry a significantly increased risk of atherosclerotic cardiovascular events compared to the general population. This excess risk is largely attributed to the pro-atherogenic effect of chronic inflammation. Despite this, conventional CV risk stratification tools such as SCORE2/OP do not account for inflammation-related risk, leading to systematic underestimation of CV risk in these patients. Data from the CARMA project demonstrated that 53% of CV events in Spanish patients with IRD occurred in those classified as low-to-moderate risk by SCORE2/OP, highlighting the urgent need for improved risk stratification strategies.

Carotid ultrasound for the detection of subclinical atherosclerosis (carotid plaques) has been proposed as a modifier of CV risk in the ESC 2021 guidelines. The presence of carotid plaques automatically reclassifies individuals to very high CV risk, warranting intensive lipid-lowering therapy. However, no randomized clinical trial has evaluated the efficacy of this strategy in patients with IRD.

Study Design:

PREVENER is an open-label, randomized, multicenter, phase IV clinical trial. Patients aged ≥50 years with IRD (RA by ACR/EULAR 2010 criteria, PsA by CASPAR criteria, AxSpA by ASAS criteria, or SLE by ACR/EULAR 2019 criteria) and low-to-moderate CV risk according to SCORE2/OP will be enrolled across 17 Spanish hospitals.

Eligible patients will be randomized 1:1 to:

• Experimental group: carotid ultrasound performed within 30 days of randomization. Patients with carotid plaques (defined by Mannheim consensus criteria) will be classified as very high CV risk and initiated on high-intensity statin therapy (LDL target \<55 mg/dL). Patients without plaques will be managed according to ESC 2021 guidelines.
• Control group: standard management according to ESC 2021 guidelines throughout the study.

Randomization will be performed using REDCap, stratified by age, sex, classic CV risk factors, lipid-lowering treatment, rheumatic disease, and advanced therapy use.

Primary Endpoint:

Incidence of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE), defined as: acute myocardial infarction or stroke, hospitalization for unstable angina, arterial revascularization for peripheral arterial disease, or CV death.

Secondary Endpoints:

1. Efficacy of the strategy analyzed individually by rheumatic disease (RA, PsA, AxSpA)
2. Comparison of efficacy between men and women
3. Safety comparison of adverse events between groups

Follow-up:

All patients will be followed for 48 months. Patients on lipid-lowering treatment will have monthly visits during the intensification phase (maximum 5 visits) until therapeutic target is achieved, followed by semi-annual visits until month 48. Patients not requiring lipid-lowering treatment will have semi-annual visits throughout.

Statistical Analysis:

The primary analysis will follow an intention-to-treat approach. Cox regression models will be used to calculate Hazard Ratios with 95% confidence intervals, adjusted for relevant covariates. Kaplan-Meier survival curves will be compared using the log-rank test. A sample size of 1,944 patients provides 80% power to detect a 50% reduction in CV events in the experimental group (alpha=0.05). An interim analysis will be performed at 50% of expected events using the O'Brien-Fleming stopping rule, reviewed by an independent Data Safety Monitoring Board (DSMB).

Patients undergo carotid ultrasound within 30 days of randomization. Patients with carotid plaques are reclassified as very high cardiovascular risk and initiated on high-intensity statin therapy (LDL target \< 55 mg/dL). Patients without carotid plaques are managed according to ESC 2021 guidelines.

Diagnostic Test: Carotid Ultrasound · Drug: High-intensity lipid-lowering therapy

Patients are managed according to standard ESC 2021 cardiovascular prevention guidelines throughout the study, without carotid ultrasound assessment.

Other: Standard care according to ESC 2021 guidelines

Carotid ultrasound performed to detect subclinical atherosclerosis (carotid plaques) according to Manheim consensus criteria. The presence of carotid plaques triggers reclassification to very high cardiovascular risk and initiation of high-intensity lipid-loqering therapy

Sequential lipid-lowering therapy initiated in experimental group patinets with carotid plaques, targeting LDL \< 55 mg/dL. Treatment includes high-intensity statins (atorvastatin 40-80mg, rouvastatin 20-40mg), with possible addition of azetimibe, bempedoic acid, and/or PCSK9 inhibitors if target is not achieved.

Lipid-lowerin treatment indicated and managed according to ESC 2021 cardiovascular prevention guidelines, based on SCORE/OP risk stratification, without carotid ultrasound assessment

Time frame: 48 months

Not reported in this registry record.

Time frame: 48 months

Incidence of acute myocardial infarction or stroke during the follow-up period.

Time frame: 48 months

Incidence of hospital admissions due to unstable angina during the follow-up period.

Time frame: 48 months

Incidence of arterial revascularization procedures required for peripheral arterial disease during the follow-up period.

Time frame: 48 months

Incidence of cardiovascular death during the follow-up period.

Time frame: 48 months

Evaluation of the incidence of major cardiovascular events (acute myocardial infarction, stroke, hospitalization for unstable angina, arterial revascularization for peripheral artery disease, or cardiovascular death) analyzed individually for each included inflammatory disease (rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, axial spondyloarthritis and systemic lupus erythematosus).

Time frame: 48 months

This measure evaluates the efficacy of the strategy by comparing the incidence of individual cardiovascular events (acute myocardial infarction, stroke, hospitalization for unstable angina, arterial revascularization or cardiovascular death) between male and female participants.

Time frame: 48 months

Not reported in this registry record.

Time frame: 48 months

Not reported in this registry record.

Randomized Clinical Trial to Assess the Efficacy and Safety of a Primary Prevention Strategy for Cardiovascular Events in Patients With Inflammatory Rheumatic Diseases Based on the Use of Carotid Ultrasound