This is the face of coronary artery disease⁣ ⁣ Yup, I have heart disease. ⁣ ⁣ I've mentioned this in bits and pieces over the last year, but in 2025, I was diagnosed with coronary artery disease.To be clear, I have basically the lowest amount of artery calcification possible to still have heart disease, but I still have it. ⁣ ⁣ Coronary artery disease is a complication of rheumatoid arthritis, as cholesterol can be increased by inflammation. As I hung around the border of coronary artery disease, I got COVID. ⁣ ⁣ COVID is also an inflammatory condition, which is why research shows that COVID can increase risk of heart disease. ⁣ ⁣ We're keeping an eye on it now, and increasing my cholesterol medication has helped keep my cholesterol down. Which is good because I already eat a pretty heart-healthy diet and exercise is tricky for me. ⁣ ⁣ If you have an inflammatory condition like RA or Crohn's, you should know that that inflammation can contribute towards cholesterol levels and therefore heart disease, especially if you've had COVID (and every time you get it increases your risks). ⁣ ⁣ ⬛⁣ ⁣ I’m Kate, a chronic illness patient and advocate sharing what my life is like with 10+ chronic illnesses. Follow me for more and check out my blog at katethealmostgreat.com⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣.⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣ ⁣ ⬛⁣ ⁣ ID: Kate takes a selfie. She's a white woman with auburn hair wearing a white sweater, silver Claddagh necklace, and pink glasses.⁣ ⁣ RheumatoidArthritis CoronaryArteryDisease HeartDisease ChronicallyIll AutoimmuneDisease