Comorbidity burden and the role of hydroxychloroquine in venous thromboembolism risk among rheumatoid arthritis patients: a retrospective case-control study

Aims: Patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) are at increased risk for venous thromboembolism (VTE). This study aims to identify clinical characteristics and treatment-related factors associated with VTE in RA patients. Methods: A retrospective analysis of 363 RA patients was conducted, including 34 RA patients with documented VTE. Demographics, comorbidities, and treatment data were compared between patients with and without VTE. Age-and sexmatched subgroup analysis and multivariate logistic regression were used to identify independent predictors of VTE. Results: The mean age of RA patients with VTE was 66.8 (11.5) and 30 (88.2) were female. VTE was significantly associated with older age, hypertension, hyperlipidemia, and higher Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI). In the multivariate model, higher CCI was independently associated with VTE (OR 2.84, 95% CI: 1.46–3.80, p