People who suffer from rheumatoid arthritis may be more likely to experience cardiovascular problems such as heart attacks, according to new research.

Findings presented at the annual American College of Rheumatology meeting reveal that the risk of heart attack is doubled during the first ten years after someone is diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis, compared with people in the general population.

Previous to diagnosis, no increased risk of heart trouble was uncovered.

“The fact that there is no increased risk prior to rheumatoid arthritis diagnosis suggests that there is something in the rheumatoid arthritis disease itself, such as inflammatory processes, that lead[s] to this increased risk,” commented lead researcher Marie Gunnarsson, according to Health Day News.

Meanwhile, a separate study presented at the same conference found that patients with rheumatoid arthritis have a higher risk of complications than other heart patients.

Those with arthritis were found to be 45 percent more likely to develop heart failure after having a heart attack, as well as a 75 percent greater chance of dying after a cardiovascular event.

Rheumatoid arthritis is currently on the rise among women, according to researchers at the Mayo Clinic.