To perform their analysis, the researchers pulled data from 24 observational studies including over 110,000 patients with nearly 23,000 cardiovascular events.

The researchers found that RA patients had a 59% increase in risk of death from heart disease and a 52% increased risk of death from stroke when compared to the general population. In total, the analysis revealed a 50% increased risk in CVD death in patients with RA and there was no difference in the risk between men and women.

“Previously, not all studies have consistently found this increased risk,” said lead researcher Dr. J. Antonio Aviña-Zubieta. “We firmly establish that CVD is increased in RA.”

The researchers, who published their report in the December 15, 2008, issue of Arthritis Care & Research, did note that most of the studies that were included in this analysis enrolled patients prior to the widespread use of anti-tumor necrosis factor (TNF) drugs. Recent evidence seems to indicate that treatment with anti-TNF medications may improve the CVD mortality rates in RA patients.

One of those recent studies, published in the July 2007 issue of the Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases, suggests that treatment with anti-TNFs may mitigate the increased CVD risk for RA patients. This analysis indicates that anti-TNFs may reduce the risk to levels similar to the general population. Anti-TNFs, however, were associated with higher rates of infection in RA patients.

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