Patients with rheumatoid arthritis have been enjoying a reduction in risk of cardiovascular disease since the turn of the century, a conference has heard.
The improvements may be because of better management of these patients – or because of the introduction of new therapies that reduce systemic inflammation, the conference of the European League Against Rheumatism heard.
French researchers conducted a metanalysis on 28 observational studies from before and after the year 2000 to reach their conclusions.
Before the turn of the century, patients faced a "highly significant" increased risk of stroke, heart failure, cardiovascular mortality and myocardial infarction, they reported.
After the year 2000, patients only faced an excess risk of stroke – which was unchanged – and an increased risk of myocardial infarction. The excess risk of MI was less than before 2000.
Researcher Professor Cécile Gaujoux-Viala, head of the department of rheumatology of the Nîmes University Hospital, said: "However, knowing that systemic inflammation is the cornerstone of both rheumatoid arthritis and atherosclerosis, it may also be related to better control of chronic systemic inflammation as the result of new therapeutic strategies.
"Over the past fifteen years, new treatment strategies such as tight control, treat to target, methotrexate optimisation, and the use of biologic DMARDs has allowed a better control of systemic inflammation in patients with rheumatoid arthritis."
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