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Treatment with tumor necrosis factor inhibitors and the risk of acute coronary syndromes in early rheumatoid arthritis

Ljung, Lotta ; Simard, Julia F. ; Jacobsson, Lennart LU ; Rantapaa-Dahlqvist, Solbritt and Askling, Johan (2012) In Arthritis and Rheumatism 64(1). p.42-52
Abstract
Objective Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is associated with an increased risk of ischemic heart disease, in both early and established RA. Data on the risk of ischemic heart disease in relation to therapy with tumor necrosis factor (TNF) antagonists (anti-TNF) are conflicting in patients with established RA and essentially lacking in those with early RA. In established RA, the risk of myocardial infarction has been linked to the response to anti-TNF therapies. The aim of this study was to determine the risk of acute coronary syndromes (ACS) in patients with early RA in relation to treatment with, and response to, anti-TNF. Methods. A cohort consisting of patients in whom RA was diagnosed between 1999 and 2007 was identified from the Swedish... (More)
Objective Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is associated with an increased risk of ischemic heart disease, in both early and established RA. Data on the risk of ischemic heart disease in relation to therapy with tumor necrosis factor (TNF) antagonists (anti-TNF) are conflicting in patients with established RA and essentially lacking in those with early RA. In established RA, the risk of myocardial infarction has been linked to the response to anti-TNF therapies. The aim of this study was to determine the risk of acute coronary syndromes (ACS) in patients with early RA in relation to treatment with, and response to, anti-TNF. Methods. A cohort consisting of patients in whom RA was diagnosed between 1999 and 2007 was identified from the Swedish Rheumatology Register (n = 6,000), from which information on disease activity and pharmacologic treatments was extracted. In a cohort study, the risk of first occurrence of an ACS was compared between patients treated with anti-TNF and those without exposure to anti-TNF, using hazard ratios (HRs). In a nested case-control study, the relationship between response to anti-TNF according to the European League Against Rheumatism (EULAR) response criteria and the risk of ACS was investigated. Results. In the cohort study, treatment with antiTNF was not related to any statistically significant alteration in the risk of ACS (HR 0.80, 95% confidence interval [95% CI] 0.52-1.24). In the nested case-control study, a good or moderate EULAR treatment response at 3 months and at 6 months was not associated with a risk of ACS (odds ratio [OR] 1.7, 95% CI 0.5-5.1 and OR 1.5, 95% CI 0.3-6.9, respectively), when adjusted for disease activity before treatment start. Conclusion. In this study of patients treated with anti-TNF within the first years of RA, neither treatment with, nor response to, anti-TNF therapy could be linked to any statistically significant decrease in the risk of ACS. (Less)
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author
; ; ; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
in
Arthritis and Rheumatism
volume
64
issue
1
pages
42 - 52
publisher
John Wiley & Sons Inc.
external identifiers
  • wos:000298598100007
  • scopus:84855278034
  • pmid:21898355
ISSN
1529-0131
DOI
10.1002/art.30654
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
7318d024-7614-4874-a388-326b3343ffb0 (old id 2355062)
date added to LUP
2016-04-01 10:47:30
date last changed
2022-04-04 21:23:34
@article{7318d024-7614-4874-a388-326b3343ffb0,
  abstract     = {{Objective Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is associated with an increased risk of ischemic heart disease, in both early and established RA. Data on the risk of ischemic heart disease in relation to therapy with tumor necrosis factor (TNF) antagonists (anti-TNF) are conflicting in patients with established RA and essentially lacking in those with early RA. In established RA, the risk of myocardial infarction has been linked to the response to anti-TNF therapies. The aim of this study was to determine the risk of acute coronary syndromes (ACS) in patients with early RA in relation to treatment with, and response to, anti-TNF. Methods. A cohort consisting of patients in whom RA was diagnosed between 1999 and 2007 was identified from the Swedish Rheumatology Register (n = 6,000), from which information on disease activity and pharmacologic treatments was extracted. In a cohort study, the risk of first occurrence of an ACS was compared between patients treated with anti-TNF and those without exposure to anti-TNF, using hazard ratios (HRs). In a nested case-control study, the relationship between response to anti-TNF according to the European League Against Rheumatism (EULAR) response criteria and the risk of ACS was investigated. Results. In the cohort study, treatment with antiTNF was not related to any statistically significant alteration in the risk of ACS (HR 0.80, 95% confidence interval [95% CI] 0.52-1.24). In the nested case-control study, a good or moderate EULAR treatment response at 3 months and at 6 months was not associated with a risk of ACS (odds ratio [OR] 1.7, 95% CI 0.5-5.1 and OR 1.5, 95% CI 0.3-6.9, respectively), when adjusted for disease activity before treatment start. Conclusion. In this study of patients treated with anti-TNF within the first years of RA, neither treatment with, nor response to, anti-TNF therapy could be linked to any statistically significant decrease in the risk of ACS.}},
  author       = {{Ljung, Lotta and Simard, Julia F. and Jacobsson, Lennart and Rantapaa-Dahlqvist, Solbritt and Askling, Johan}},
  issn         = {{1529-0131}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{1}},
  pages        = {{42--52}},
  publisher    = {{John Wiley & Sons Inc.}},
  series       = {{Arthritis and Rheumatism}},
  title        = {{Treatment with tumor necrosis factor inhibitors and the risk of acute coronary syndromes in early rheumatoid arthritis}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/art.30654}},
  doi          = {{10.1002/art.30654}},
  volume       = {{64}},
  year         = {{2012}},
}