REVIEW - What effects might anti-TNFa therapy have on cardiovascular morbidity and mortality in RA?

[Guest guest]

Ann Rheum Dis. 2007 Jan 24; [Epub ahead of print]

What effects might anti-TNFa therapy be expected to have on cardiovascular

morbidity and mortality in rheumatoid arthritis? A review of the role of

TNF[alpha] in cardiovascular pathophysiology.

Dixon WG, Symmons DP.

arc Epidemiology Unit, University of Manchester, United Kingdom.

Patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) have an increased burden of

atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease which cannot be explained by an

increased prevalence of traditional cardiovascular risk factors alone.

Atherosclerosis is now being viewed as an inflammatory condition and the

cumulative inflammation experienced in RA may contribute to accelerated

atherosclerosis. It has been hypothesised that anti-TNFa therapy in RA may

reduce both intra-articular inflammation and the inflammation associated

with atherosclerosis. Thus TNFa blockade may reduce the cardiovascular

morbidity and mortality associated with RA. This review examines the

pathophysiological role of TNFa in atherosclerosis and the evidence to date

that anti- TNFa therapy modifies this process in RA.

PMID: 17251223

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve & db=PubMed & list_uids=1\

7251223

Not an MD