Scientists from Hospital for Special Surgery found the risk of dementia in people with rheumatoid arthritis is lower in those receiving biological or targeted synthetic disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs) than in patients who receive conventional synthetic DMARDs.
The research was presented at the annual meeting of the American College of Rheumatology and was conducted by Sebastian Sattui et al.
The treatment in patients with rheumatoid arthritis has become more complex based on the understanding that rheumatoid arthritis has an impact well beyond what is thought of as the classical manifestations.
Previous studies have suggested that inflammatory diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis can increase the risk for dementia and that TNF agents may have a role in preventing the incidence of dementia.
In the study, the team analyzed data from 141,326 eligible patients with rheumatoid arthritis.
They found being on a biological or targeted synthetic DMARD actually decreased the risk of incidence of dementia by 17%.
No significant differences were observed between the different classes of biologic or targeted synthetic DMARDs.
This suggests that decreased risk is possibly explained by the overall decrease in inflammation rather than a specific mechanism of action.
The researchers say clinicians should factor this new information into treatment decisions, but prospective studies are needed.
Rheumatoid arthritis is a systemic disease and it can have cognitive implications.
However, these complications seem to share similar pathways to those of articular disease, and the medications that they use to treat rheumatoid arthritis could be effective in the prevention of dementia in patients with rheumatoid arthritis.
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