| iv> | | | | San Diego, California. Abstract 296). |
| | | | The 1713 deaths in this population group were analyzed |
| Do drugs that inhibit tumor necrosis factor prolong the | | | | to determine causes and other factors that might |
| life span of patients with rheumatoid arthritis? This | | | | have contributed to death. |
| article serves to answer that question. | | | | Compared with patients not receiving TNF ± |
| One of the biggest questions when it comes to | | | | blockers or methotrexate (MTX), the use of TNF ± |
| anti-tumor necrosis ± therapy (anti-TNF) is what is | | | | blockers, the use of MTX, and the use of TNF ± |
| the overall risk/benefit ratio. There is no question that | | | | blockers plus MTX were all associated with statistically |
| this group of drugs induces positive clinical responses in | | | | significantly lower risks for death. |
| most patients. However, there remains concern | | | | Also, a large Swedish study examined 1534 patients, |
| about toxicity, including potentially problems such as | | | | 949 of whom were on TNF ± blockers. This |
| infection and malignancy. | | | | population group was scrutinized for factors |
| One method of assessing the risk/benefit ratio would | | | | associated with mortality. Overall, patients on TNF ± |
| be overall mortality or rate of death. On the one hand, | | | | blockers had a slightly lower mortality rate that was |
| by effectively controlling systemic inflammation, | | | | not statistically significant compared with those not on |
| treatment with TNF ± blockers could potentially | | | | TNF ± blockers. However, when adjusted for |
| improve mortality. It has been established that | | | | disease severity, using the Health Assessment |
| patients with the most severe RA have increased | | | | Questionnaire score, TNF-± blocker treated patients |
| mortality. On the other hand, if serious adverse effects | | | | had a significantly lower mortality (Jacobsson LTH, |
| due to these drugs were common, this could have a | | | | Turesson C, Nilsson L, et al. Treatment with |
| negative effect on overall mortality. | | | | TNF-blockers is associated with reduced premature |
| Most studies so far appear to show that treatment | | | | mortality in patients with rheumatoid arthritis. Program |
| with TNF ± blockers has a beneficial effect on | | | | and abstracts of EULAR 2006: 7th Annual European |
| mortality. | | | | Congress of Rheumatology; June 21-24, 2006; |
| Data from one study analyzed 22,545 RA patients | | | | Amsterdam, The Netherlands. Abstract). |
| from across the United States over 85,691 | | | | This encouraging data should not induce a cavalier |
| patient-years of follow-up (Michaud K, Wolfe F. | | | | response by rheumatologists about this group of |
| Reduced mortality among RA patients treated with | | | | medicines. Anti-TNF drugs are a wonderful |
| anti-TNF therapy and methotrexate. Program and | | | | development; however, close observation of patients |
| abstracts of the American College of Rheumatology | | | | on these drugs is mandatory. |
| 2005 Annual Scientific Meeting; November 13-17, 2005; | | | | |