Several studies have shown that people with rheumatoid arthritis are both less likely to exercise than the general population and also have a higher risk of cardiovascular problems than the general population.  The increased cardiovascular risk could be due in part to the inflammation in the body, but is also compounded by lack of physical activity.
 
A recent study published in the May 2007 issue of Arthritis & Rheumatism compared energy expenditure between patients with RA and healthy...