In a new study from Flinders University, researchers examined the drugs commonly used by rheumatoid arthritis patients and found two combinations could reduce the risk of heart attack and strokes.
They found that anti-rheumatic drug regimens that include either tumor necrosis factor inhibitors or hydroxychloroquine might strongly benefit heart health in rheumatoid arthritis.
Occurring in about one in 100 people, rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a common autoimmune disease that leads to inflammation and pain in the connective tissue of a patient’s joints.
Patients have an increased risk of atherosclerosis (clogged arteries) and heart disease when compared to the general population, probably due to an excess of inflammation in patients with this condition.
In the study, the team evaluated five different types of anti-rheumatic drug user groups in a group of 868 rheumatoid arthritis patients in a national Italian study.
This excess of inflammation is not limited to the joints, but also involves the blood vessels leading to dysfunction in the inner layer of blood vessels (the endothelial).
Drugs prescribed for rheumatoid arthritis (anti-rheumatic drugs) typically have anti-inflammatory effects and may potentially protect the endothelium, reducing the risk of atherosclerosis in these patients.
However, most patients take several anti-rheumatic drugs at once. Hence, it is difficult to see which specific agent is better than others at protecting the endothelium.
The team found the endothelial function was relatively preserved in two of these groups—that is, those with the tumor necrosis factor inhibitors and use of hydroxychloroquine.
New studies are now required to test whether such regimens are also able to curb the risk of heart attack and stroke in these patients.
If you care about heart health, please read studies about abnormal blood pressure in sleep could increase risks of heart disease, stroke and findings of diet, exercise and a push in the right direction can reduce heart disease.
For more information about heart disease, please see recent studies about all weight loss isn’t equal for reducing heart failure risk and results showing the top 3 heart attack symptoms in both women and men.
The study is published in Frontiers in Cardiovascular Medicine. One author of the study is Gian Luca Erre.
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