For this purpose, we studied 60 patients with CAD and coexistent RA (American Rheumatism Association criteria) as well as 20 patients with RA and without CAD. All the above subjects had an inadequate response to disease modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs) and corticosteroids and were going to initiate treatment with IL-1 activity inhibitor (anakinra). All patients were on treatment with statins and cardioactive medications respectively, for the last 6 months. In the 20 patients with only RA, the presence of CAD was excluded with a non-invasive test and/or a negative recent coronary arteriogram.