Re: Re: RESEARCH - Risk of MI doubled in patients with RA

[Guest guest]

Clora,

This study demonstrates a relationship between RA patients who are on

corticosteroids (like prednisone) and an increased risk of myocardial

infarction (MI - heart attack). The risk increased in relation to the

dose of corticosteroids.

There also is a relationship between more severe RA and corticosteroid

use, so the results have to be interpreted with that in mind.

Not an MD

On Mon, Oct 13, 2008 at 5:13 PM, CLORA <clora4jesus@...> wrote:

> and group;

>

> I think this means cortosteroids is bad for those that have heart

> problems... If so I should not take cortocosteroids cause I have

> congestive heart failure

>

> gentle hugs

> Clora

>

> ******************************************************

>

>> Risk of MI Doubled in Patients With Rheumatoid Arthritis

>>

>>

>> NEW YORK (Reuters Health) Oct 10 - Patients with rheumatoid

> arthritis

>> (RA) are twice as likely to experience a myocardial infarction (MI)

>> over a 3-year period compared with patients with noninflammatory

>> rheumatic disorders, according to data from the Wichita, Kansas-

> based

>> National Data Bank for Rheumatic Diseases.

>>

>> However, say co-authors Dr. Frederick Wolfe and Dr. Kaleb Michaud,

> the

>> only factor that accounted for the increased risk was corticosteroid

>> use among patients with the inflammatory disease.

>>

>> The prospective cohort study, described in the September issue of

>> Arthritis & Rheumatism, included 17,738 patients with rheumatic

>> arthritis and 3001 patients with noninflammatory rheumatic disorders

>> assessed at 6-month intervals between 1999 and 2006.

>>

>> There were 223 first MIs in the RA group and 25 in the non-RA group

>> during a mean follow-up period of 3.0 years (adjusted hazard ratio

>> 1.9, p = 0.005).

>>

>> Conventional cardiovascular risk factors predicted incident MI to a

>> similar degree in the two groups.

>>

>> The only treatment associated with increased MI risk was prednisone.

>> There was a dose-response relationship, such that patients

> receiving >

>> 5 mg/day were at significantly greater risk than those treated with

>> lower doses (p = 0.031). When RA patients treated with prednisone

> were

>> excluded from the analysis, the difference in risk between the two

>> groups was no longer statistically significant.

>>

>> " Neither anti-TNF therapy nor any other therapy was significantly

>> associated with MI risk in any analysis, " Drs. Wolfe and Michaud

>> report. Of note, anti-TNF therapy did not appear to exert any

>> protective effect, as had been hoped.

>>

>>

>> Arthritis Rheum 2008;58:2612-2621.

>>

>> http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/581898