Rheumatoid arthritis drugs might help reduce the danger of cardiovascular disease

The individuals in the brand-new research study were arbitrarily appointed to one of 2 groups.

At completion of 6 months, both groups experienced similar decreases in arterial swelling, which is an indication of the danger of cardiovascular disease, in addition to rheumatoid arthritis illness activity.

Dr. Joan Marie Bathon, a teacher of medication at Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons and lead author of the research study, explained the background to Medical News Today.

“Individuals who have rheumatoid arthritis (RA) are at significantly increased risk for heart attacks and strokes,” she said. “RA is a very inflammatory disease process and the theory is that the increased inflammation in RA is the main risk factor for ‘extra’ cardiovascular risk. [Other risk factors like high blood pressure, diabetes, obesity, etc still play a role as well.]”

Heart attacks are understood to take place when atherosclerotic plaques (the fatty locations in the coronary artery walls) -that have the most swelling- rupture and an embolism in the artery takes place. Statins minimize swelling in the arteries and minimize cardiovascular disease.

Dr. Joan Marie Bathon

Bathon’s crucial concern in this research study was to figure out whether the anti-inflammatory medications utilized to deal with RA would likewise minimize swelling in the arteries.

“If so, could this reduce the ‘excess’ risk for heart attacks and strokes that RA patients have,” Bathon explained.

An imaging scan referred to as FDG-PET/CT was utilized to address this concern. FDG illuminate arteries that are irritated and the PET/CT scan identifies the swelling so it can be determined.

The scientists registered RA clients who had irritated joints and required to include a medication to their existing treatment (which was methotrexate). They randomized the research study individuals to one of 2 treatments:

“We did the FDG-PET/CT scans at the beginning of the study and then again after six months of the added treatment,” Bathon said.

We discovered that RA medications did undoubtedly minimize swelling in arteries of RA clients, on the order of 8 to 10% (which has to do with what a moderate dosage of a statin would do). We discovered even more that both RA treatment programs lowered arterial swelling equivalently. This is the very first time that an RA medication has actually been revealed to enhance arterial swelling.

Dr. Joan Marie Bathon

Bathon kept in mind there were constraints to the research study.

“Ideally, we would follow patients with arterial inflammation for many years to determine whether they developed a heart attack or stroke, but this would be a mammoth and hugely expensive study requiring thousands of patients. This was not feasible,” she said.

However, she said the research study has ramifications for RA clients and the general public.

If rheumatologists and clients strongly handle the RA – i.e., get the joint discomfort and swelling down to really low levels – there is a likelihood that that will likewise lead to a decrease of arterial swelling which, in turn, will ideally minimize their danger for future cardiovascular disease and strokes. Of course, people with RA ought to likewise strongly deal with their physicians to likewise keep weight, high blood pressure, glucose, and cholesterol levels, under good control at the exact same time.

Dr. Joan Marie Bathon

Dr. Norman B. Gaylis, a master at the American College of Rheumatology who practices in Florida and was not associated with the research study, concurred.

He informed Medical News Today that “in my opinion, the paper and the topic are extremely important and timely.”

“The correlation between the presence of inflammation being a risk factor for coronary artery inflammation and increased cardiac morbidity has become more understood. This paper actually measures the value of reducing inflammation objectively resulting in reduced inflammation of coronary artery disease,” Gaylis explained.

Using rheumatoid arthritis (RA) as an example of an inflammatory illness and associating the decrease of swelling in RA is incredibly important both for comprehending the significance of being proactive in dealing with RA and swelling as strongly as possible and showing how this helps in reducing heart morbidity.

Dr. Norman B. Gaylis

Gaylis likewise highlighted that “the unknown danger of not treating inflammation is not necessarily well established or acknowledged by patients and physicians.”

“Whether it’s RA or inflammation of the gums or gastrointestinal tract, there is more evidence that people with chronic inflammation need to be aggressively treated so the inflammation does not remain and cause an increased risk of cardiovascular disease,” he said.

One of the most essential features of this paper is it determines a contrast of immune modulators “biologics” versus non-biologic triple DMARD treatment. Both appear to substantially minimize swelling of the coronary arteries and therefore minimize the morbidity of heart disease and RA.

Dr. Norman B. Gaylis

“RA or the presence of inflammation presents a need to search for disease activity and inflammation. Overall, physicians and patients must be proactive in trying to reduce and effectively decrease inflammation as much as possible,” Gaylis said.

“This paper is a novel and very important measurement of how reducing inflammation can lower the risk of cardiovascular disease,” he included.

Gaylis concluded by stating “personally, as a rheumatologist who has actually dealt with and lectured on the topic of RA for several years, it highlights the requirement to strongly deal with and minimize all indications of illness activity and not enable swelling to smolder in RA clients.“